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diff --git a/etc/NEWS.1-17 b/etc/NEWS.1-17 new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..0297c928b72 --- /dev/null +++ b/etc/NEWS.1-17 @@ -0,0 +1,2530 @@ +GNU Emacs NEWS -- history of user-visible changes. 26-Mar-1986 +Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 2006 Richard M. Stallman. +See the end for copying conditions. + +This file is about changes in emacs versions 1 through 17. + + + +Changes in Emacs 17 + +* Frustrated? + +Try M-x doctor. + +* Bored? + +Try M-x hanoi. + +* Brain-damaged? + +Try M-x yow. + +* Sun3, Tahoe, Apollo, HP9000s300, Celerity, NCR Tower 32, + Sequent, Stride, Encore, Plexus and AT&T 7300 machines supported. + +The Tahoe, Sun3, Sequent and Celerity use 4.2. In regard to the +Apollo, see the file APOLLO in this directory. NCR Tower32, +HP9000s300, Stride and Nu run forms of System V. System V rel 2 also +works on Vaxes now. See etc/MACHINES. + +* System V Unix supported, including subprocesses. + +It should be possible now to bring up Emacs on a machine running +mere unameliorated system V Unix with no major work; just possible bug +fixes. But you can expect to find a handful of those on any machine +that Emacs has not been run on before. + +* Berkeley 4.1 Unix supported. + +See etc/MACHINES. + +* Portable `alloca' provided. + +Emacs can now run on machines that do not and cannot support the library +subroutine `alloca' in the canonical fashion, using an `alloca' emulation +written in C. + +* On-line manual. + +Info now contains an Emacs manual, with essentially the same text +as in the printed manual. + +The manual can now be printed with a standard TeX. + +Nicely typeset and printed copies of the manual are available +from the Free Software Foundation. + +* Backup file version numbers. + +Emacs now supports version numbers in backup files. + +The first time you save a particular file in one editing session, +the old file is copied or renamed to serve as a backup file. +In the past, the name for the backup file was made by appending `~' +to the end of the original file name. + +Now the backup file name can instead be made by appending ".~NN~" to +the original file name, where NN stands for a numeric version. Each +time this is done, the new version number is one higher than the +highest previously used. + +Thus, the active, current file does not have a version number. +Only the backups have them. + +This feature is controlled by the variable `version-control'. If it +is `nil', as normally, then numbered backups are made only for files +that already have numbered backups. Backup names with just `~' are +used for files that have no numbered backups. + +If `version-control' is `never', then the backup file's name is +made with just `~' in any case. + +If `version-control' is not `nil' or `never', numbered backups are +made unconditionally. + +To prevent unlimited consumption of disk space, Emacs can delete +old backup versions automatically. Generally Emacs keeps the first +few backups and the latest few backups, deleting any in between. +This happens every time a new backup is made. The two variables that +control the deletion are `kept-old-versions' and `kept-new-versions'. +Their values are, respectively, the number of oldest backups to keep +and the number of newest ones to keep, each time a new backup is made. +The value of `kept-new-versions' includes the backup just created. +By default, both values are 2. + +If `trim-versions-without-asking' is non-`nil', the excess middle versions +are deleted without a murmur. If it is `nil', the default, then you +are asked whether the excess middle versions should really be deleted. + +Dired has a new command `.' which marks for deletion all but the latest +and oldest few of every numeric series of backups. `kept-old-versions' +controls the number of oldest versions to keep, and `dired-kept-versions' +controls the number of latest versions to keep. A numeric argument to +the `.' command, if positive, specifies the number of latest versions +to keep, overriding `dired-kept-versions'. A negative argument specifies +the number of oldest versions to keep, using minus the argument to override +`kept-old-versions'. + +* Immediate conflict detection. + +Emacs now locks the files it is modifying, so that if +you start to modify within Emacs a file that is being +modified in another Emacs, you get an immediate warning. + +The warning gives you three choices: +1. Give up, and do not make any changes. +2. Make changes anyway at your own risk. +3. Make changes anyway, and record yourself as + the person locking the file (instead of whoever + was previously recorded.) + +Just visiting a file does not lock it. It is locked +when you try to change the buffer that is visiting the file. +Saving the file unlocks it until you make another change. + +Locking is done by writing a lock file in a special designated +directory. If such a directory is not provided and told to +Emacs as part of configuring it for your machine, the lock feature +is turned off. + +* M-x recover-file. + +This command is used to get a file back from an auto-save +(after a system crash, for example). It takes a file name +as argument and visits that file, but gets the data from the +file's last auto save rather than from the file itself. + +* M-x normal-mode. + +This command resets the current buffer's major mode and local +variables to be as specified by the visit filename, the -*- line +and/or the Local Variables: block at the end of the buffer. +It is the same thing normally done when a file is first visited. + +* Echo area messages disappear shortly if minibuffer is in use. + +Any message in the echo area disappears after 2 seconds +if the minibuffer is active. This allows the minibuffer +to become visible again. + +* C-z on System V runs a subshell. + +On systems which do not allow programs to be suspended, the C-z command +forks a subshell that talks directly to the terminal, and then waits +for the subshell to exit. This gets almost the effect of suspending +in that you can run other programs and then return to Emacs. However, +you cannot log out from the subshell. + +* C-c is always a prefix character. + +Also, subcommands of C-c which are letters are always +reserved for the user. No standard Emacs major mode +defines any of them. + +* Picture mode C-c commands changed. + +The old C-c k command is now C-c C-w. +The old C-c y command is now C-c C-x. + +* Shell mode commands changed. + +All the special commands of Shell mode are now moved onto +the C-c prefix. Most are not changed aside from that. +Thus, the old Shell mode C-c command (kill current job) +is now C-c C-c; the old C-z (suspend current job) is now C-c C-z, +etc. + +The old C-x commands are now C-c commands. C-x C-k (kill output) +is now C-c C-o, and C-x C-v (show output) is now C-c C-r. + +The old M-= (copy previous input) command is now C-c C-y. + +* Shell mode recognizes aliases for `pushd', `popd' and `cd'. + +Shell mode now uses the variable `shell-pushd-regexp' as a +regular expression to recognize any command name that is +equivalent to a `pushd' command. By default it is set up +to recognize just `pushd' itself. If you use aliases for +`pushd', change the regexp to recognize them as well. + +There are also `shell-popd-regexp' to recognize commands +with the effect of a `popd', and `shell-cd-regexp' to recognize +commands with the effect of a `cd'. + +* "Exit" command in certain modes now C-c C-c. + +These include electric buffer menu mode, electric command history +mode, Info node edit mode, and Rmail edit mode. In all these +modes, the command to exit used to be just C-c. + +* Outline mode changes. + +Lines that are not heading lines are now called "body" lines. +The command `hide-text' is renamed to `hide-body'. +The key M-H is renamed to C-c C-h. +The key M-S is renamed to C-c C-s. +The key M-s is renamed to C-c C-i. + +Changes of line visibility are no longer undoable. As a result, +they no longer use up undo memory and no longer interfere with +undoing earlier commands. + +* Rmail changes. + +The s and q commands now both expunge deleted messages before saving; +use C-x C-s to save without expunging. + +The u command now undeletes the current message if it is deleted; +otherwise, it backs up as far as necessary to reach a deleted message, +and undeletes that one. The u command in the summary behaves likewise, +but considers only messages listed in the summary. The M-u command +has been eliminated. + +The o and C-o keys' meanings are interchanged. +o now outputs to an Rmail file, and C-o to a Unix mail file. + +The F command (rmail-find) is renamed to M-s (rmail-search). +Various new commands and features exist; see the Emacs manual. + +* Local bindings described first in describe-bindings. + +* [...], {...} now balance in Fundamental mode. + +* Nroff mode and TeX mode. + +The are two new major modes for editing nroff input and TeX input. +See the Emacs manual for full information. + +* New C indentation style variable `c-brace-imaginary-offset'. + +The value of `c-brace-imaginary-offset', normally zero, controls the +indentation of a statement inside a brace-group where the open-brace +is not the first thing on a line. The value says where the open-brace +is imagined to be, relative to the first nonblank character on the line. + +* Dired improvements. + +Dired now normally keeps the cursor at the beginning of the file name, +not at the beginning of the line. The most used motion commands are +redefined in Dired to position the cursor this way. + +`n' and `p' are now equivalent in dired to `C-n' and `C-p'. + +If any files to be deleted cannot be deleted, their names are +printed in an error message. + +If the `v' command is invoked on a file which is a directory, +dired is run on that directory. + +* `visit-tag-table' renamed `visit-tags-table'. + +This is so apropos of `tags' finds everything you need to +know about in connection with Tags. + +* `mh-e' library uses C-c as prefix. + +All the special commands of `mh-rmail' now are placed on a +C-c prefix rather than on the C-x prefix. This is for +consistency with other special modes with their own commands. + +* M-$ or `spell-word' checks word before point. + +It used to check the word after point. + +* Quitting during autoloading no longer causes trouble. + +Now, when a file is autoloaded, all function redefinitions +and `provide' calls are recorded and are undone if you quit +before the file is finished loading. + +As a result, it no longer happens that some of the entry points +which are normally autoloading have been defined already, but the +entire file is not really present to support them. + +* `else' can now be indented correctly in C mode. + +TAB in C mode now knows which `if' statement an `else' matches +up with, and can indent the `else' correctly under the `if', +even if the `if' contained such things as another `if' statement, +or a `while' or `for' statement, with no braces around it. + +* `batch-byte-compile' + +Runs byte-compile-file on the files specified on the command line. +All the rest of the command line arguments are taken as files to +compile (or, if directories, to do byte-recompile-directory on). +Must be used only with -batch, and kills emacs on completion. +Each file will be processed even if an error occurred previously. +For example, invoke `emacs -batch -f batch-byte-compile *.el'. + +* `-batch' changes. + +`-batch' now implies `-q': no init file is loaded by Emacs when +`-batch' is used. Also, no `term/TERMTYPE.el' file is loaded. Auto +saving is not done except in buffers in which it is explicitly +requested. Also, many echo-area printouts describing what is going on +are inhibited in batch mode, so that the only output you get is the +output you program specifically. + +One echo-area message that is not suppressed is the one that says +that a file is being loaded. That is because you can prevent this +message by passing `t' as the third argument to `load'. + +* Display of search string in incremental search. + +Now, when you type C-s or C-r to reuse the previous search +string, that search string is displayed immediately in the echo area. + +Three dots are displayed after the search string while search +is actually going on. + +* View commands. + +The commands C-x ], C-x [, C-x /, C-x j and C-x o are now +available inside `view-buffer' and `view-file', with their +normal meanings. + +* Full-width windows preferred. + +The ``other-window'' commands prefer other full width windows, +and will split only full width windows. + +* M-x rename-file can copy if necessary. + +When used between different file systems, since actual renaming does +not work, the old file will be copied and deleted. + +* Within C-x ESC, you can pick the command to repeat. + +While editing a previous command to be repeated, inside C-x ESC, +you can now use the commands M-p and M-n to pick an earlier or +later command to repeat. M-n picks the next earlier command +and M-p picks the next later one. The new command appears in +the minibuffer, and you can go ahead and edit it, and repeat it +when you exit the minibuffer. + +Using M-n or M-p within C-x ESC is like having used a different +numeric argument when you ran C-x ESC in the first place. + +The command you finally execute using C-x ESC is added to the +front of the command history, unless it is identical with the +first thing in the command history. + +* Use C-c C-c to exit from editing within Info. + +It used to be C-z for this. Somehow this use of C-z was +left out when all the others were moved. The intention is that +C-z should always suspend Emacs. + +* Default arg to C-x < and C-x > now window width minus 2. + +These commands, which scroll the current window horizontally +by a specified number of columns, now scroll a considerable +distance rather than a single column if used with no argument. + +* Auto Save Files Deleted. + +The default value of `delete-auto-save-files' is now `t', so that +when you save a file for real, its auto save file is deleted. + +* Rnews changes. + +The N, P and J keys in Rnews are renamed to M-n, M-p and M-j. +These keys move among newsgroups. + +The n and p keys for moving sequentially between news articles now +accept repeat count arguments, and the + and - keys, made redundant by +this change, are eliminated. + +The s command for outputting the current article to a file +is renamed as o, to be compatible with Rmail. + +* Sendmail changes. + +If you have a ~/.mailrc file, Emacs searches it for mailing address +aliases, and these aliases are expanded when you send mail in Emacs. + +Fcc fields can now be used in the headers in the *mail* buffer +to specify files in which copies of the message should be put. +The message is written into those files in Unix mail file format. +The message as sent does not contain any Fcc fields in its header. +You can use any number of Fcc fields, but only one file name in each one. +The variable `mail-archive-file-name', if non-`nil', can be a string +which is a file name; an Fcc to that file will be inserted in every +message when you begin to compose it. + +A new command C-c q now exists in Mail mode. It fills the +paragraphs of an old message that had been inserted with C-c y. + +When the *mail* buffer is put in Mail mode, text-mode-hook +is now run in addition to mail-mode-hook. text-mode-hook +is run first. + +The new variable `mail-header-separator' now specifies the string +to use on the line that goes between the headers and the message text. +By default it is still "--text follows this line--". + +* Command history truncated automatically. + +Just before each garbage collection, all but the last 30 elements +of the command history are discarded. + + +Incompatible Lisp Programming Changes in Emacs 17 + +* `"e' no longer supported. + +This feature, which allowed Lisp functions to take arguments +that were not evaluated, has been eliminated, because it is +inescapably hard to make the compiler work properly with such +functions. + +You should use macros instead. A simple way to change any +code that uses `"e' is to replace + + (defun foo ("e x y z) ... + +with + + (defmacro foo (x y z) + (list 'foo-1 (list 'quote x) (list 'quote y) (list 'quote z))) + + (defun foo-1 (x y z) ... + +* Functions `region-to-string' and `region-around-match' removed. + +These functions were made for compatibility with Gosling Emacs, but it +turns out to be undesirable to use them in GNU Emacs because they use +the mark. They have been eliminated from Emacs proper, but are +present in mlsupport.el for the sake of converted mocklisp programs. + +If you were using `region-to-string', you should instead use +`buffer-substring'; then you can pass the bounds as arguments and +can avoid setting the mark. + +If you were using `region-around-match', you can use instead +the two functions `match-beginning' and `match-end'. These give +you one bound at a time, as a numeric value, without changing +point or the mark. + +* Function `function-type' removed. + +This just appeared not to be very useful. It can easily be written in +Lisp if you happen to want it. Just use `symbol-function' to get the +function definition of a symbol, and look at its data type or its car +if it is a list. + +* Variable `buffer-number' removed. + +You can still use the function `buffer-number' to find out +a buffer's unique number (assigned in order of creation). + +* Variable `executing-macro' renamed `executing-kbd-macro'. + +This variable is the currently executing keyboard macro, as +a string, or `nil' when no keyboard macro is being executed. + +* Loading term/$TERM. + +The library term/$TERM (where $TERM get replaced by your terminal +type), which is done by Emacs automatically when it starts up, now +happens after the user's .emacs file is loaded. + +In previous versions of Emacs, these files had names of the form +term-$TERM; thus, for example, term-vt100.el, but now they live +in a special subdirectory named term, and have names like +term/vt100.el. + +* `command-history' format changed. + +The elements of this list are now Lisp expressions which can +be evaluated directly to repeat a command. + +* Unused editing commands removed. + +The functions `forward-to-word', `backward-to-word', +`upcase-char', `mark-beginning-of-buffer' and `mark-end-of-buffer' +have been removed. Their definitions can be found in file +lisp/unused.el if you need them. + + +Upward Compatible Lisp Programming Changes in Emacs 17 + +* You can now continue after errors and quits. + +When the debugger is entered because of a C-g, due to +a non-`nil' value of `debug-on-quit', the `c' command in the debugger +resumes execution of the code that was running when the quit happened. +Use the `q' command to go ahead and quit. + +The same applies to some kinds of errors, but not all. Errors +signaled with the Lisp function `signal' can be continued; the `c' +command causes `signal' to return. The `r' command causes `signal' to +return the value you specify. The `c' command is equivalent to `r' +with the value `nil'. + +For a `wrong-type-argument' error, the value returned with the `r' +command is used in place of the invalid argument. If this new value +is not valid, another error occurs. + +Errors signaled with the function `error' cannot be continued. +If you try to continue, the error just happens again. + +* `dot' renamed `point'. + +The word `dot' has been replaced with `point' in all +function and variable names, including: + + point, point-min, point-max, + point-marker, point-min-marker, point-max-marker, + window-point, set-window-point, + point-to-register, register-to-point, + exchange-point-and-mark. + +The old names are still supported, for now. + +* `string-match' records position of end of match. + +After a successful call to `string-match', `(match-end 0)' will +return the index in the string of the first character after the match. +Also, `match-begin' and `match-end' with nonzero arguments can be +used to find the indices of beginnings and ends of substrings matched +by subpatterns surrounded by parentheses. + +* New function `insert-before-markers'. + +This function is just like `insert' except in the handling of any +relocatable markers that are located at the point of insertion. +With `insert', such markers end up pointing before the inserted text. +With `insert-before-markers', they end up pointing after the inserted +text. + +* New function `copy-alist'. + +This function takes one argument, a list, and makes a disjoint copy +of the alist structure. The list itself is copied, and each element +that is a cons cell is copied, but the cars and cdrs of elements +remain shared with the original argument. + +This is what it takes to get two alists disjoint enough that changes +in one do not change the result of `assq' on the other. + +* New function `copy-keymap'. + +This function takes a keymap as argument and returns a new keymap +containing initially the same bindings. Rebindings in either one of +them will not alter the bindings in the other. + +* New function `copy-syntax-table'. + +This function takes a syntax table as argument and returns a new +syntax table containing initially the same syntax settings. Changes +in either one of them will not alter the other. + +* Randomizing the random numbers. + +`(random t)' causes the random number generator's seed to be set +based on the current time and Emacs's process id. + +* Third argument to `modify-syntax-entry'. + +The optional third argument to `modify-syntax-entry', if specified +should be a syntax table. The modification is made in that syntax table +rather than in the current syntax table. + +* New function `run-hooks'. + +This function takes any number of symbols as arguments. +It processes the symbols in order. For each symbol which +has a value (as a variable) that is non-nil, the value is +called as a function, with no arguments. + +This is useful in major mode commands. + +* Second arg to `switch-to-buffer'. + +If this function is given a non-`nil' second argument, then the +selection being done is not recorded on the selection history. +The buffer's position in the history remains unchanged. This +feature is used by the view commands, so that the selection history +after exiting from viewing is the same as it was before. + +* Second arg to `display-buffer' and `pop-to-buffer'. + +These two functions both accept an optional second argument which +defaults to `nil'. If the argument is not `nil', it means that +another window (not the selected one) must be found or created to +display the specified buffer in, even if it is already shown in +the selected window. + +This feature is used by `switch-to-buffer-other-window'. + +* New variable `completion-ignore-case'. + +If this variable is non-`nil', completion allows strings +in different cases to be considered matching. The global value +is `nil' + +This variable exists for the sake of commands that are completing +an argument in which case is not significant. It is possible +to change the value globally, but you might not like the consequences +in the many situations (buffer names, command names, file names) +where case makes a difference. + +* Major modes related to Text mode call text-mode-hook, then their own hooks. + +For example, turning on Outline mode first calls the value of +`text-mode-hook' as a function, if it exists and is non-`nil', +and then does likewise for the variable `outline-mode-hook'. + +* Defining new command line switches. + +You can define a new command line switch in your .emacs file +by putting elements on the value of `command-switch-alist'. +Each element of this list should look like + (SWITCHSTRING . FUNCTION) +where SWITCHSTRING is a string containing the switch to be +defined, such as "-foo", and FUNCTION is a function to be called +if such an argument is found in the command line. FUNCTION +receives the command line argument, a string, as its argument. + +To implement a switch that uses up one or more following arguments, +use the fact that the remaining command line arguments are kept +as a list in the variable `command-line-args'. FUNCTION can +examine this variable, and do + (setq command-line-args (cdr command-line-args) +to "use up" an argument. + +* New variable `load-in-progress'. + +This variable is non-`nil' when a file of Lisp code is being read +and executed by `load'. + +* New variable `print-length'. + +The value of this variable is normally `nil'. It may instead be +a number; in that case, when a list is printed by `prin1' or +`princ' only that many initial elements are printed; the rest are +replaced by `...'. + +* New variable `find-file-not-found-hook'. + +If `find-file' or any of its variants is used on a nonexistent file, +the value of `find-file-not-found-hook' is called (if it is not `nil') +with no arguments, after creating an empty buffer. The file's name +can be found as the value of `buffer-file-name'. + +* Processes without buffers. + +In the function `start-process', you can now specify `nil' as +the process's buffer. You can also set a process's buffer to `nil' +using `set-process-buffer'. + +The reason you might want to do this is to prevent the process +from being killed because any particular buffer is killed. +When a process has a buffer, killing that buffer kills the +process too. + +When a process has no buffer, its output is lost unless it has a +filter, and no indication of its being stopped or killed is given +unless it has a sentinel. + +* New function `user-variable-p'. `v' arg prompting changed. + +This function takes a symbol as argument and returns `t' if +the symbol is defined as a user option variable. This means +that it has a `variable-documentation' property whose value is +a string starting with `*'. + +Code `v' in an interactive arg reading string now accepts +user variables only, and completion is limited to the space of +user variables. + +The function `read-variable' also now accepts and completes +over user variables only. + +* CBREAK mode input is the default in Unix 4.3 bsd. + +In Berkeley 4.3 Unix, there are sufficient features for Emacs to +work fully correctly using CBREAK mode and not using SIGIO. +Therefore, this mode is the default when running under 4.3. +This mode corresponds to `nil' as the first argument to +`set-input-mode'. You can still select either mode by calling +that function. + +* Information on memory usage. + +The new variable `data-bytes-used' contains the number +of bytes of impure space allocated in Emacs. +`data-bytes-free' contains the number of additional bytes +Emacs could allocate. Note that space formerly allocated +and freed again still counts as `used', since it is still +in Emacs's address space. + +* No limit on size of output from `format'. + +The string output from `format' used to be truncated to +100 characters in length. Now it can have any length. + +* New errors `void-variable' and `void-function' replace `void-symbol'. + +This change makes it possible to have error messages that +clearly distinguish undefined variables from undefined functions. +It also allows `condition-case' to handle one case without the other. + +* `replace-match' handling of `\'. + +In `replace-match', when the replacement is not literal, +`\' in the replacement string is always treated as an +escape marker. The only two special `\' constructs +are `\&' and `\DIGIT', so `\' followed by anything other than +`&' or a digit has no effect. `\\' is necessary to include +a `\' in the replacement text. + +This level of escaping is comparable with what goes on in +a regular expression. It is over and above the level of `\' +escaping that goes on when strings are read in Lisp syntax. + +* New error `invalid-regexp'. + +A regexp search signals this type of error if the argument does +not meet the rules for regexp syntax. + +* `kill-emacs' with argument. + +If the argument is a number, it is returned as the exit status code +of the Emacs process. If the argument is a string, its contents +are stuffed as pending terminal input, to be read by another program +after Emacs is dead. + +* New fifth argument to `subst-char-in-region'. + +This argument is optional and defaults to `nil'. If it is not `nil', +then the substitutions made by this function are not recorded +in the Undo mechanism. + +This feature should be used with great care. It is now used +by Outline mode to make lines visible or invisible. + +* ` *Backtrace*' buffer renamed to `*Backtrace*'. + +As a result, you can now reselect this buffer easily if you switch to +another while in the debugger. + +Exiting from the debugger kills the `*Backtrace*' buffer, so you will +not try to give commands in it when no longer really in the debugger. + +* New function `switch-to-buffer-other-window'. + +This is the new primitive to select a specified buffer (the +argument) in another window. It is not quite the same as +`pop-to-buffer', because it is guaranteed to create another +window (assuming there is room on the screen) so that it can +leave the current window's old buffer displayed as well. + +All functions to select a buffer in another window should +do so by calling this new function. + +* New variable `minibuffer-help-form'. + +At entry to the minibuffer, the variable `help-form' is bound +to the value of `minibuffer-help-form'. + +`help-form' is expected at all times to contain either `nil' +or an expression to be executed when C-h is typed (overriding +teh definition of C-h as a command). `minibuffer-help-form' +can be used to provide a different default way of handling +C-h while in the minibuffer. + +* New \{...} documentation construct. + +It is now possible to set up the documentation string for +a major mode in such a way that it always describes the contents +of the major mode's keymap, as it has been customized. +To do this, include in the documentation string the characters `\{' +followed by the name of the variable containing the keymap, +terminated with `}'. (The `\' at the beginning probably needs to +be quoted with a second `\', to include it in the doc string.) +This construct is normally used on a line by itself, with no blank +lines before or after. + +For example, the documentation string for the function `c-mode' contains + ... + Paragraphs are separated by blank lines only. + Delete converts tabs to spaces as it moves back. + \\{c-mode-map} + Variables controlling indentation style: + ... + +* New character syntax class "punctuation". + +Punctuation characters behave like whitespace in word and +list parsing, but can be distinguished in regexps and in the +function `char-syntax'. Punctuation syntax is represented by +a period in `modify-syntax-entry'. + +* `auto-mode-alist' no longer needs entries for backup-file names, + +Backup suffixes of all kinds are now stripped from a file's name +before searching `auto-mode-alist'. + + + +Changes in Emacs 16 + +* No special code for Ambassadors, VT-100's and Concept-100's. + +Emacs now controls these terminals based on the termcap entry, like +all other terminals. Formerly it did not refer to the termcap entries +for those terminal types, and often the termcap entries for those +terminals are wrong or inadequate. If you experience worse behavior +on these terminals than in version 15, you can probably correct it by +fixing up the termcap entry. See ./TERMS for more info. + +See ./TERMS in any case if you find that some terminal does not work +right with Emacs now. + +* Minibuffer default completion character is TAB (and not ESC). + +So that ESC can be used in minibuffer for more useful prefix commands. + +* C-z suspends Emacs in all modes. + +Formerly, C-z was redefined for other purposes by certain modes, +such as Buffer Menu mode. Now other keys are used for those purposes, +to keep the meaning of C-z uniform. + +* C-x ESC (repeat-complex-command) allows editing the command it repeats. + +Instead of asking for confirmation to re-execute a command from the +command history, the command is placed, in its Lisp form, into the +minibuffer for editing. You can confirm by typing RETURN, change some +arguments and then confirm, or abort with C-g. + +* Incremental search does less redisplay on slow terminals. + +If the terminal baud rate is <= the value of `isearch-slow-speed', +incremental searching outside the text on the screen creates +a single-line window and uses that to display the line on which +a match has been found. Exiting or quitting the search restores +the previous window configuration and redisplays the window you +were searching in. + +The initial value of `isearch-slow-speed' is 1200. + +This feature is courtesy of crl@purdue. + +* Recursive minibuffers not allowed. + +If the minibuffer window is selected, most commands that would +use the minibuffer gets an error instead. (Specific commands +may override this feature and therefore still be allowed.) + +Strictly speaking, recursive entry to the minibuffer is still +possible, because you can switch to another window after +entering the minibuffer, and then minibuffer-using commands +are allowed. This is still allowed by a deliberate decision: +if you know enough to switch windows while in the minibuffer, +you can probably understand recursive minibuffers. + +This may be overridden by binding the variable +`enable-recursive-minibuffers' to t. + +* New major mode Emacs-Lisp mode, for editing Lisp code to run in Emacs. + +The mode in which emacs lisp files is edited is now called emacs-lisp-mode +and is distinct from lisp-mode. The latter is intended for use with +lisps external to emacs. + +The hook which is funcalled (if non-nil) on entry to elisp-mode is now +called emacs-lisp-mode-hook. A consequence of this changes is that +.emacs init files which set the value of lisp-mode-hook may need to be +changed to use the new names. + +* Correct matching of parentheses is checked on insertion. + +When you insert a close-paren, the matching open-paren +is checked for validity. The close paren must be the kind +of close-paren that the open-paren says it should match. +Otherwise, a warning message is printed. close-paren immediately +preceded by quoting backslash syntax character is not matched. + +This feature was originally written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* M-x list-command-history +* M-x command-history-mode +* M-x electric-command-history + +`list-command-history' displays forms from the command history subject +to user controlled filtering and limit on number of forms. It leaves +the buffer in `command-history-mode'. M-x command-history-mode +recomputes the command history each time it is invoked via +`list-command-history'. It is like Emacs-Lisp mode except that characters +don't insert themselves and provision is made for re-evaluating an +expression from the list. `electric-command-history' pops up a type +out window with the command history displayed. If the very next +character is Space, the window goes away and the previous window +configuration is restored. Otherwise you can move around in the +history and select an expression for evaluation *inside* the buffer +which invoked `electric-command-history'. The original window +configuration is restored on exit unless the command selected changes +it. + +* M-x edit-picture + +Enters a temporary major mode (the previous major mode is remembered +and can is restored on exit) designed for editing pictures and tables. +Printing characters replace rather than insert themselves with motion +afterwards that is user controlled (you can specify any of the 8 +compass directions). Special commands for movement are provided. +Special commands for hacking tabs and tab stops are provided. Special +commands for killing rectangles and overlaying them are provided. See +the documentation of function edit-picture for more details. + +Calls value of `edit-picture-hook' on entry if non-nil. + +* Stupid C-s/C-q `flow control' supported. + +Do (set-input-mode nil t) to tell Emacs to use CBREAK mode and interpret +C-s and C-q as flow control commands. (set-input-mode t nil) switches +back to interrupt-driven input. (set-input-mode nil nil) uses CBREAK +mode but no `flow control'; this may make it easier to run Emacs under +certain debuggers that have trouble dealing with inferiors that use SIGIO. + +CBREAK mode has certain inherent disadvantages, which are why it is +not the default: + + Meta-keys are ignored; CBREAK mode discards the 8th bit of + input characters. + + Control-G as keyboard input discards buffered output, + and therefore can cause incorrect screen updating. + +The use of `flow control' has its own additional disadvantage: the +characters C-s and C-q are not available as editing commands. You can +partially compensate for this by setting up a keyboard-translate-table +(see file ONEWS) that maps two other characters (such as C-^ and C-\) into +C-s and C-q. Of course, C-^ and C-\ are commonly used as escape +characters in remote-terminal programs. You really can't win except +by getting rid of this sort of `flow control.' + +The configuration switch CBREAK_INPUT is now eliminated. +INTERRUPT_INPUT exists only to specify the default mode of operation; +#define it to make interrupt-driven input the default. + +* Completion of directory names provides a slash. + +If file name completion yields the name of a directory, +a slash is appended to it. + +* Undo can clear modified-flag. + +If you undo changes in a buffer back to a state in which the +buffer was not considered "modified", then it is labelled as +once again "unmodified". + +* M-x run-lisp. + +This command creates an inferior Lisp process whose input and output +appear in the Emacs buffer named `*lisp*'. That buffer uses a major mode +called inferior-lisp-mode, which has many of the commands of lisp-mode +and those of shell-mode. Calls the value of shell-mode-hook and +lisp-mode-hook, in that order, if non-nil. + +Meanwhile, in lisp-mode, the command C-M-x is defined to +send the current defun as input to the `*lisp*' subprocess. + +* Mode line says `Narrow' when buffer is clipped. + +If a buffer has a clipping restriction (made by `narrow-to-region') +then its mode line contains the word `Narrow' after the major and +minor modes. + +* Mode line says `Abbrev' when abbrev mode is on. + +* add-change-log-entry takes prefix argument + +Giving a prefix argument makes it prompt for login name, full name, +and site name, with defaults. Otherwise the defaults are used +with no confirmation. + +* M-x view-buffer and M-x view-file + +view-buffer selects the named buffer, view-file finds the named file; the +resulting buffer is placed into view-mode (a recursive edit). The normal +emacs commands are not available. Instead a set of special commands is +provided which faclitate moving around in the buffer, searching and +scrolling by screenfuls. Exiting view-mode returns to the buffer in which +the view-file or view-buffer command was given. +Type ? or h when viewing for a complete list of view commands. +Each calls value of `view-hook' if non-nil on entry. + +written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* New key commands in dired. + +`v' views (like more) the file on the current line. +`#' marks auto-save files for deletion. +`~' marks backup files for deletion. +`r' renames a file and updates the directory listing if the +file is renamed to same directory. +`c' copies a file and updates the directory listing if the file is +copied to the same directory. + +* New function `electric-buffer-list'. + +This pops up a buffer describing the set of emacs buffers. +Immediately typing space makes the buffer list go away and returns +to the buffer and window which were previously selected. + +Otherwise one may use the c-p and c-n commands to move around in the +buffer-list buffer and type Space or C-z to select the buffer on the +cursor's line. There are a number of other commands which are the same +as those of buffer-menu-mode. + +This is a useful thing to bind to c-x c-b in your `.emacs' file if the +rather non-standard `electric' behaviour of the buffer list suits your taste. +Type C-h after invoking electric-buffer-list for more information. + +Calls value of `electric-buffer-menu-mode-hook' if non-nil on entry. +Calls value of `after-electric-buffer-menu' on exit (select) if non-nil. + +Changes in version 16 for mail reading and sending + +* sendmail prefix character is C-c (and not C-z). New command C-c w. + +For instance C-c C-c (or C-c C-s) sends mail now rather than C-z C-z. +C-c w inserts your `signature' (contents of ~/.signature) at the end +of mail. + +* New feature in C-c y command in sending mail. + +C-c y is the command to insert the message being replied to. +Normally it deletes most header fields and indents everything +by three spaces. + +Now, C-c y does not delete header fields or indent. +C-c y with any other numeric argument does delete most header +fields, but indents by the amount specified in the argument. + +* C-r command in Rmail edits current message. + +It does this by switching to a different major mode +which is nearly the same as Text mode. The only difference +between it and text mode are the two command C-c and C-]. +C-c is defined to switch back to Rmail mode, and C-] +is defined to restore the original contents of the message +and then switch back to Rmail mode. + +C-c and C-] are the only ways "back into Rmail", but you +can switch to other buffers and edit them as usual. +C-r in Rmail changes only the handling of the Rmail buffer. + +* Rmail command `t' toggles header display. + +Normally Rmail reformats messages to hide most header fields. +`t' switches to display of all the header fields of the +current message, as long as it remains current. +Another `t' switches back to the usual display. + +* Rmail command '>' goes to the last message. + +* Rmail commands `a' and `k' set message attributes. +`a' adds an attribute and `k' removes one. You specify +the attrbute by name. You can specify either a built-in +flag such as "deleted" or "filed", or a user-defined keyword +(anything not recognized as built-in). + +* Rmail commands `l' and `L' summarize by attributes. + +These commands create a summary with one line per message, +like `h', but they list only some of the messages. You +specify which attribute (for `l') or attributes (for `L') +the messages should have. + +* Rmail can parse mmdf mail files. + +* Interface to MH mail system. + +mh-e is a front end for GNU emacs and the MH mail system. It +provides a friendly and convient interface to the MH commands. + +To read mail, invoke mh-rmail. This will inc new mail and display the +scan listing on the screen. To see a summary of the mh-e commands, +type ?. Help is available through the usual facilities. + +To send mail, invoke mh-smail. + +mh-e requires a copy of MH.5 that has been compiled with the MHE +compiler switch. + +From larus@berkeley. + +New hooks and parameters in version 16 + +* New variable `blink-matching-paren-distance'. + +This is the maximum number of characters to search for +an open-paren to match an inserted close-paren. +The matching open-paren is shown and checked if it is found +within this distance. + +`nil' means search all the way to the beginning of the buffer. +In this case, a warning message is printed if no matching +open-paren is found. + +This feature was originally written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* New variable `find-file-run-dired' + +If nil, find-file will report an error if an attempt to visit a +directory is detected; otherwise, it runs dired on that directory. +The default is t. + +* Variable `dired-listing-switches' holds switches given to `ls' by dired. + +The value should be a string containing `-' followed by letters. +The letter `l' had better be included and letter 'F' had better be excluded! +The default is "-al". + +This feature was originally written by shane@mit-ajax. + +* New variable `display-time-day-and-date'. + +If this variable is set non-`nil', the function M-x display-time +displays the day and date, as well as the time. + +* New parameter `c-continued-statement-indent'. + +This controls the extra indentation given to a line +that continues a C statement started on the previous line. +By default it is 2, which is why you would see + + if (foo) + bar (); + + +* Changed meaning of `c-indent-level'. + +The value of `c-brace-offset' used to be +subtracted from the value of `c-indent-level' whenever +that value was used. Now it is not. + +As a result, `c-indent-level' is now the offset of +statements within a block, relative to the line containing +the open-brace that starts the block. + +* turn-on-auto-fill is useful value for text-mode-hook. + +(setq text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill) +is all you have to do to make sure Auto Fill mode is turned +on whenever you enter Text mode. + +* Parameter explicit-shell-file-name for M-x shell. + +This variable, if non-nil, specifies the file name to use +for the shell to run if you do M-x shell. + +Changes in version 16 affecting Lisp programming: + +* Documentation strings adapt to customization. + +Often the documentation string for a command wants to mention +another command. Simply stating the other command as a +character sequence has a disadvantage: if the user customizes +Emacs by moving that function to a different command, the +cross reference in the documentation becomes wrong. + +A new feature allows you to write the documentation string +using a function name, and the command to run that function +is looked up when the documentation is printed. + +If a documentation string contains `\[' (two characters) then +the following text, up to the next `]', is taken as a function name. +Instead of printing that function name, the command that runs it is printed. +(M-x is used to construct a command if no shorter one exists.) + +For example, instead of putting `C-n' in a documentation string +to refer to the C-n command, put in `\[next-line]'. (In practice +you will need to quote the backslash with another backslash, +due to the syntax for strings in Lisp and C.) + +To include the literal characters `\[' in a documentation string, +precede them with `\='. To include the characters `\=', precede +them with `\='. For example, "\\=\\= is the way to quote \\=\\[" +will come out as `\= is the way to quote \['. + +The new function `substitute-command-keys' takes a string possibly +contaning \[...] constructs and replaces those constructs with +the key sequences they currently stand for. + +* Primitives `find-line-comment' and `find-line-comment-body' flushed. + +Search for the value of `comment-start-skip' if you want to find +whether and where a line has a comment. + +* New function `auto-save-file-name-p' + +Should return non-`nil' iff given a string which is the name of an +auto-save file (sans directory name). If you redefine +`make-auto-save-file-name', you should redefine this accordingly. By +default, this function returns `t' for filenames beginning with +character `#'. + +* The value of `exec-directory' now ends in a slash. + +This is to be compatible with most directory names in GNU Emacs. + +* Dribble files and termscript files. + +(open-dribble-file FILE) opens a dribble file named FILE. When a +dribble file is open, every character Emacs reads from the terminal is +written to the dribble file. + +(open-termscript FILE) opens a termscript file named FILE. When a +termscript file is open, all characters sent to the terminal by Emacs +are also written in the termscript file. + +The two of these together are very useful for debugging Emacs problems +in redisplay. + +* Upper case command characters by default are same as lower case. + +If a character in a command is an upper case letter, and is not defined, +Emacs uses the definition of the corresponding lower case letter. +For example, if C-x U is not directly undefined, it is treated as +a synonym for C-x u (undo). + +* Undefined function errors versus undefined variable errors. + +Void-symbol errors now say "boundp" if the symbol's value was void +or "fboundp" if the function definition was void. + +* New function `bury-buffer'. + +The new function `bury-buffer' takes one argument, a buffer object, +and puts that buffer at the end of the internal list of buffers. +So it is the least preferred candidate for use as the default value +of C-x b, or for other-buffer to return. + +* Already-displayed buffers have low priority for display. + +When a buffer is chosen automatically for display, or to be the +default in C-x b, buffers already displayed in windows have lower +priority than buffers not currently visible. + +* `set-window-start' accepts a third argument NOFORCE. + +This argument, if non-nil, prevents the window's force_start flag +from being set. Setting the force_start flag causes the next +redisplay to insist on starting display at the specified starting +point, even if dot must be moved to get it onto the screen. + +* New function `send-string-to-terminal'. + +This function takes one argument, a string, and outputs its contents +to the terminal exactly as specified: control characters, escape +sequences, and all. + +* Keypad put in command mode. + +The terminal's keypad is now put into command mode, as opposed to +numeric mode, while Emacs is running. This is done by means of the +termcap `ks' and `ke' strings. + +* New function `generate-new-buffer' + +This function takes a string as an argument NAME and looks for a +creates and returns a buffer called NAME if one did not already exist. +Otherwise, it successively tries appending suffixes of the form "<1>", +"<2>" etc to NAME until it creates a string which does not name an +existing buffer. A new buffer with that name is the created and returned. + +* New function `prin1-to-string' +This function takes one argument, a lisp object, and returns a string +containing that object's printed representation, such as `prin1' +would output. + +* New function `read-from-minibuffer' +Lets you supply a prompt, initial-contents, a keymap, and specify +whether the result should be interpreted as a string or a lisp object. + +Old functions `read-minibuffer', `eval-minibuffer', `read-string' all +take second optional string argument which is initial contents of +minibuffer. + +* minibuffer variable names changed (names of keymaps) + +minibuf-local-map -> minibuffer-local-map +minibuf-local-ns-map -> minibuffer-local-ns-map +minibuf-local-completion-map -> minibuffer-local-completion-map +minibuf-local-must-match-map -> minibuffer-local-must-match-map + +Changes in version 16 affecting configuring and building Emacs + +* Configuration switch VT100_INVERSE eliminated. + +You can control the use of inverse video on any terminal by setting +the variable `inverse-video', or by changing the termcap entry. If +you like, set `inverse-video' in your `.emacs' file based on +examination of (getenv "TERM"). + +* New switch `-batch' makes Emacs run noninteractively. + +If the switch `-batch' is used, Emacs treats its standard output +and input like ordinary files (even if they are a terminal). +It does not display buffers or windows; the only output to standard output +is what would appear as messages in the echo area, and each +message is followed by a newline. + +The terminal modes are not changed, so that C-z and C-c retain +their normal Unix meanings. Emacs does still read commands from +the terminal, but the idea of `-batch' is that you use it with +other command line arguments that tell Emacs a complete task to perform, +including killing itself. `-kill' used as the last argument is a good +way to accomplish this. + +The Lisp variable `noninteractive' is now defined, to be `nil' +except when `-batch' has been specified. + +* Emacs can be built with output redirected to a file. + +This is because -batch (see above) is now used in building Emacs. + + + +Changes in Emacs 15 + +* Emacs now runs on Sun and Megatest 68000 systems; + also on at least one 16000 system running 4.2. + +* Emacs now alters the output-start and output-stop characters + to prevent C-s and C-q from being considered as flow control + by cretinous rlogin software in 4.2. + +* It is now possible convert Mocklisp code (for Gosling Emacs) to Lisp code + that can run in GNU Emacs. M-x convert-mocklisp-buffer + converts the contents of the current buffer from Mocklisp to + GNU Emacs Lisp. You should then save the converted buffer with C-x C-w + under a name ending in ".el" + + There are probably some Mocklisp constructs that are not handled. + If you encounter one, feel free to report the failure as a bug. + The construct will be handled in a future Emacs release, if that is not + not too hard to do. + + Note that lisp code converted from Mocklisp code will not necessarily + run as fast as code specifically written for GNU Emacs, nor will it use + the many features of GNU Emacs which are not present in Gosling's emacs. + (In particular, the byte-compiler (m-x byte-compile-file) knows little + about compilation of code directly converted from mocklisp.) + It is envisaged that old mocklisp code will be incrementally converted + to GNU lisp code, with M-x convert-mocklisp-buffer being the first + step in this process. + +* Control-x n (narrow-to-region) is now by default a disabled command. + + This means that, if you issue this command, it will ask whether + you really mean it. You have the opportunity to enable the + command permanently at that time, so you will not be asked again. + This will place the form "(put 'narrow-to-region 'disabled nil)" in your + .emacs file. + +* Tags now prompts for the tag table file name to use. + + All the tags commands ask for the tag table file name + if you have not yet specified one. + + Also, the command M-x visit-tag-table can now be used to + specify the tag table file name initially, or to switch + to a new tag table. + +* If truncate-partial-width-windows is non-nil (as it intially is), + all windows less than the full screen width (that is, + made by side-by-side splitting) truncate lines rather than continuing + them. + +* Emacs now checks for Lisp stack overflow to avoid fatal errors. + The depth in eval, apply and funcall may not exceed max-lisp-eval-depth. + The depth in variable bindings and unwind-protects may not exceed + max-specpdl-size. If either limit is exceeded, an error occurs. + You can set the limits to larger values if you wish, but if you make them + too large, you are vulnerable to a fatal error if you invoke + Lisp code that does infinite recursion. + +* New hooks find-file-hook and write-file-hook. + Both of these variables if non-nil should be functions of no arguments. + At the time they are called (current-buffer) will be the buffer being + read or written respectively. + + find-file-hook is called whenever a file is read into its own buffer, + such as by calling find-file, revert-buffer, etc. It is not called by + functions such as insert-file which do not read the file into a buffer of + its own. + find-file-hook is called after the file has been read in and its + local variables (if any) have been processed. + + write-file-hook is called just before writing out a file from a buffer. + +* The initial value of shell-prompt-pattern is now "^[^#$%>]*[#$%>] *" + +* If the .emacs file sets inhibit-startup-message to non-nil, + the messages normally printed by Emacs at startup time + are inhibited. + +* Facility for run-time conditionalization on the basis of emacs features. + + The new variable features is a list of symbols which represent "features" + of the executing emacs, for use in run-time conditionalization. + + The function featurep of one argument may be used to test for the + presence of a feature. It is just the same as + (not (null (memq FEATURE features))) where FEATURE is its argument. + For example, (if (featurep 'magic-window-hack) + (transmogrify-window 'vertical) + (split-window-vertically)) + + The function provide of one argument "announces" that FEATURE is present. + It is much the same as (if (not (featurep FEATURE)) + (setq features (cons FEATURE features))) + + The function require with arguments FEATURE and FILE-NAME loads FILE-NAME + (which should contain the form (provide FEATURE)) unless FEATURE is present. + It is much the same as (if (not (featurep FEATURE)) + (progn (load FILE-NAME) + (if (not featurep FEATURE) (error ...)))) + FILE-NAME is optional and defaults to FEATURE. + +* New function load-average. + + This returns a list of three integers, which are + the current 1 minute, 5 minute and 15 minute load averages, + each multiplied by a hundred (since normally they are floating + point numbers). + +* Per-terminal libraries loaded automatically. + + Emacs when starting up on terminal type T automatically loads + a library named term-T. T is the value of the TERM environment variable. + Thus, on terminal type vt100, Emacs would do (load "term-vt100" t t). + Such libraries are good places to set the character translation table. + + It is a bad idea to redefine lots of commands in a per-terminal library, + since this affects all users. Instead, define a command to do the + redefinitions and let the user's init file, which is loaded later, + call that command or not, as the user prefers. + +* Programmer's note: detecting killed buffers. + + Buffers are eliminated by explicitly killing them, using + the function kill-buffer. This does not eliminate or affect + the pointers to the buffer which may exist in list structure. + If you have a pointer to a buffer and wish to tell whether + the buffer has been killed, use the function buffer-name. + It returns nil on a killed buffer, and a string on a live buffer. + +* New ways to access the last command input character. + + The function last-key-struck, which used to return the last + input character that was read by command input, is eliminated. + Instead, you can find this information as the value of the + variable last-command-char. (This variable used to be called + last-key). + + Another new variable, last-input-char, holds the last character + read from the command input stream regardless of what it was + read for. last-input-char and last-command-char are different + only inside a command that has called read-char to read input. + +* The new switch -kill causes Emacs to exit after processing the + preceding command line arguments. Thus, + emacs -l lib data -e do-it -kill + means to load lib, find file data, call do-it on no arguments, + and then exit. + +* The config.h file has been modularized. + + Options that depend on the machine you are running on are defined + in a file whose name starts with "m-", such as m-vax.h. + Options that depend on the operating system software version you are + running on are defined in a file whose name starts with "s-", + such as s-bsd4.2.h. + + config.h includes one m- file and one s- file. It also defines a + few other options whose values do not follow from the machine type + and system type being used. Installers normally will have to + select the correct m- and s- files but will never have to change their + contents. + +* Termcap AL and DL strings are understood. + + If the termcap entry defines AL and DL strings, for insertion + and deletion of multiple lines in one blow, Emacs now uses them. + This matters most on certain bit map display terminals for which + scrolling is comparatively slow. + +* Bias against scrolling screen far on fast terminals. + + Emacs now prefers to redraw a few lines rather than + shift them a long distance on the screen, when the terminal is fast. + +* New major mode, mim-mode. + + This major mode is for editing MDL code. Perhaps a MDL + user can explain why it is not called mdl-mode. + You must load the library mim-mode explicitly to use this. + +* GNU documentation formatter `texinfo'. + + The `texinfo' library defines a format for documentation + files which can be passed through Tex to make a printed manual + or passed through texinfo to make an Info file. Texinfo is + documented fully by its own Info file; compare this file + with its source, texinfo.texinfo, for additional guidance. + + All documentation files for GNU utilities should be written + in texinfo input format. + + Tex processing of texinfo files requires the Botex macro package. + This is not ready for distribution yet, but will appear at + a later time. + +* New function read-from-string (emacs 15.29) + + read-from-string takes three arguments: a string to read from, + and optionally start and end indices which delimit a substring + from which to read. (They default to 0 and the length of the string, + respectively.) + + This function returns a cons cell whose car is the object produced + by reading from the string and whose cdr is a number giving the + index in the string of the first character not read. That index may + be passed as the second argument to a later call to read-from-string + to read the next form represented by the string. + + In addition, the function read now accepts a string as its argument. + In this case, it calls read-from-string on the whole string, and + returns the car of the result. (ie the actual object read.) + + + +Changes in Emacs 14 + +* Completion now prints various messages such as [Sole Completion] + or [Next Character Not Unique] to describe the results obtained. + These messages appear after the text in the minibuffer, and remain + on the screen until a few seconds go by or you type a key. + +* The buffer-read-only flag is implemented. + Setting or binding this per-buffer variable to a non-nil value + makes illegal any operation which would modify the textual content of + the buffer. (Such operations signal a buffer-read-only error) + The read-only state of a buffer may be altered using toggle-read-only + (C-x C-q) + The buffers used by Rmail, Dired, Rnews, and Info are now read-only + by default to prevent accidental damage to the information in those + buffers. + +* Functions car-safe and cdr-safe. + These functions are like car and cdr when the argument is a cons. + Given an argument not a cons, car-safe always returns nil, with + no error; the same for cdr-safe. + +* The new function user-real-login-name returns the name corresponding + to the real uid of the Emacs process. This is usually the same + as what user-login-name returns; however, when Emacs is invoked + from su, user-real-login-name returns "root" but user-login-name + returns the name of the user who invoked su. + + + +Changes in Emacs 13 + +* There is a new version numbering scheme. + + What used to be the first version number, which was 1, + has been discarded since it does not seem that I need three + levels of version number. + + However, a new third version number has been added to represent + changes by user sites. This number will always be zero in + Emacs when I distribute it; it will be incremented each time + Emacs is built at another site. + +* There is now a reader syntax for Meta characters: + \M-CHAR means CHAR or'ed with the Meta bit. For example: + + ?\M-x is (+ ?x 128) + ?\M-\n is (+ ?\n 128) + ?\M-\^f is (+ ?\^f 128) + + This syntax can be used in strings too. Note, however, that + Meta characters are not meaningful in key sequences being passed + to define-key or lookup-key; you must use ESC characters (\e) + in them instead. + + ?\C- can be used likewise for control characters. (13.9) + +* Installation change + The string "../lisp" now adds to the front of the load-path + used for searching for Lisp files during Emacs initialization. + It used to replace the path specified in paths.h entirely. + Now the directory ../lisp is searched first and the directoris + specified in paths.h are searched afterward. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.12 + +* There is a new installation procedure. + See the file INSTALL that comes in the top level + directory in the tar file or tape. + +* The Meta key is now supported on terminals that have it. + This is a shift key which causes the high bit to be turned on + in all input characters typed while it is held down. + + read-char now returns a value in the range 128-255 if + a Meta character is typed. When interpreted as command + input, a Meta character is equivalent to a two character + sequence, the meta prefix character followed by the un-metized + character (Meta-G unmetized is G). + + The meta prefix character + is specified by the value of the variable meta-prefix-char. + If this character (normally Escape) has been redefined locally + with a non-prefix definition (such as happens in completing + minibuffers) then the local redefinition is suppressed when + the character is not the last one in a key sequence. + So the local redefinition is effective if you type the character + explicitly, but not effective if the character comes from + the use of the Meta key. + +* `-' is no longer a completion command in the minibuffer. + It is an ordinary self-inserting character. + +* The list load-path of directories load to search for Lisp files + is now controlled by the EMACSLOADPATH environment variable +[[ Note this was originally EMACS-LOAD-PATH and has been changed + again; sh does not deal properly with hyphens in env variable names]] + rather than the EPATH environment variable. This is to avoid + conflicts with other Emacses. + + While Emacs is being built initially, the load-path + is now just ("../lisp"), ignoring paths.h. It does not + ignore EMACSLOADPATH, however; you should avoid having + this variable set while building Emacs. + +* You can now specify a translation table for keyboard + input characters, as a way of exchanging or substituting + keys on the keyboard. + + If the value of keyboard-translate-table is a string, + every character received from the keyboard is used as an + index in that string, and the character at that index in + the string is used as input instead of what was actually + typed. If the actual input character is >= the length of + the string, it is used unchanged. + + One way this feature can be used is to fix bad keyboard + designes. For example, on some terminals, Delete is + Shift-Underscore. Since Delete is a more useful character + than Underscore, it is an improvement to make the unshifted + character Delete and the shifted one Underscore. This can + be done with + + ;; First make a translate table that does the identity translation. + (setq keyboard-translate-table (make-string 128 0)) + (let ((i 0)) + (while (< i 128) + (aset keyboard-translate-table i i) + (setq i (1+ i)))) + + ;; Now alter translations of some characters. + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\_ ?\^?) + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\^? ?\_) + + If your terminal has a Meta key and can therefore send + codes up to 255, Meta characters are translated through + elements 128 through 255 of the translate table, and therefore + are translated independently of the corresponding non-Meta + characters. You must therefore establish translations + independently for the Meta characters if you want them too: + + ;; First make a translate table that does the identity translation. + (setq keyboard-translate-table (make-string 256 0)) + (let ((i 0)) + (while (< i 256) + (aset keyboard-translate-table i i) + (setq i (1+ i)))) + + ;; Now alter translations of some characters. + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\_ ?\^?) + (aset keyboard-translate-table ?\^? ?\_) + + ;; Now alter translations of some Meta characters. + (aset keyboard-translate-table (+ 128 ?\_) (+ 128 ?\^?)) + (aset keyboard-translate-table (+ 128 ?\^?) (+ 128 ?\_)) + +* (process-kill-without-query PROCESS) + +This marks the process so that, when you kill Emacs, +you will not on its account be queried about active subprocesses. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.11 + +* The commands C-c and C-z have been interchanged, + for greater compatibility with normal Unix usage. + C-z now runs suspend-emacs and C-c runs exit-recursive-edit. + +* The value returned by file-name-directory now ends + with a slash. (file-name-directory "foo/bar") => "foo/". + This avoids confusing results when dealing with files + in the root directory. + + The value of the per-buffer variable default-directory + is also supposed to have a final slash now. + +* There are now variables to control the switches passed to + `ls' by the C-x C-d command (list-directory). + list-directory-brief-switches is a string, initially "-CF", + used for brief listings, and list-directory-verbose-switches + is a string, initially "-l", used for verbose ones. + +* For Ann Arbor Ambassador terminals, the termcap "ti" string + is now used to initialize the screen geometry on entry to Emacs, + and the "te" string is used to set it back on exit. + If the termcap entry does not define the "ti" or "te" string, + Emacs does what it used to do. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.10 + +* GNU Emacs has been made almost 1/3 smaller. + It now dumps out as only 530kbytes on Vax 4.2bsd. + +* The term "checkpoint" has been replaced by "auto save" + throughout the function names, variable names and documentation + of GNU Emacs. + +* The function load now tries appending ".elc" and ".el" + to the specified filename BEFORE it tries the filename + without change. + +* rmail now makes the mode line display the total number + of messages and the current message number. + The "f" command now means forward a message to another user. + The command to search through all messages for a string is now "F". + The "u" command now means to move back to the previous + message and undelete it. To undelete the selected message, use Meta-u. + +* The hyphen character is now equivalent to a Space while + in completing minibuffers. Both mean to complete an additional word. + +* The Lisp function error now takes args like format + which are used to construct the error message. + +* Redisplay will refuse to start its display at the end of the buffer. + It will pick a new place to display from, rather than use that. + +* The value returned by garbage-collect has been changed. + Its first element is no longer a number but a cons, + whose car is the number of cons cells now in use, + and whose cdr is the number of cons cells that have been + made but are now free. + The second element is similar but describes symbols rather than cons cells. + The third element is similar but describes markers. + +* The variable buffer-name has been eliminated. + The function buffer-name still exists. This is to prevent + user programs from changing buffer names without going + through the rename-buffer function. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.9 + +* When a fill prefix is in effect, paragraphs are started + or separated by lines that do not start with the fill prefix. + Also, a line which consists of the fill prefix followed by + white space separates paragraphs. + +* C-x C-v runs the new function find-alternate-file. + It finds the specified file, switches to that buffer, + and kills the previous current buffer. (It requires + confirmation if that buffer had changes.) This is + most useful after you find the wrong file due to a typo. + +* Exiting the minibuffer moves the cursor to column 0, + to show you that it has really been exited. + +* Meta-g (fill-region) now fills each paragraph in the + region individually. To fill the region as if it were + a single paragraph (for when the paragraph-delimiting mechanism + does the wrong thing), use fill-region-as-paragraph. + +* Tab in text mode now runs the function tab-to-tab-stop. + A new mode called indented-text-mode is like text-mode + except that in it Tab runs the function indent-relative, + which indents the line under the previous line. + If auto fill is enabled while in indented-text-mode, + the new lines that it makes are indented. + +* Functions kill-rectangle and yank-rectangle. + kill-rectangle deletes the rectangle specified by dot and mark + (or by two arguments) and saves it in the variable killed-rectangle. + yank-rectangle inserts the rectangle in that variable. + + Tab characters in a rectangle being saved are replaced + by spaces in such a way that their appearance will + not be changed if the rectangle is later reinserted + at a different column position. + +* `+' in a regular expression now means + to repeat the previous expression one or more times. + `?' means to repeat it zero or one time. + They are in all regards like `*' except for the + number of repetitions they match. + + \< in a regular expression now matches the null string + when it is at the beginning of a word; \> matches + the null string at the end of a word. + +* C-x p narrows the buffer so that only the current page + is visible. + +* C-x ) with argument repeats the kbd macro just + defined that many times, counting the definition + as one repetition. + +* C-x ( with argument begins defining a kbd macro + starting with the last one defined. It executes that + previous kbd macro initially, just as if you began + by typing it over again. + +* C-x q command queries the user during kbd macro execution. + With prefix argument, enters recursive edit, + reading keyboard commands even within a kbd macro. + You can give different commands each time the macro executes. + Without prefix argument, reads a character. Your options are: + Space -- execute the rest of the macro. + Delete -- skip the rest of the macro; start next repetition. + C-d -- skip rest of the macro and don't repeat it any more. + C-r -- enter a recursive edit, then on exit ask again for a character + C-l -- redisplay screen and ask again." + +* write-kbd-macro and append-kbd-macro are used to save + a kbd macro definition in a file (as Lisp code to + redefine the macro when the file is loaded). + These commands differ in that write-kbd-macro + discards the previous contents of the file. + If given a prefix argument, both commands + record the keys which invoke the macro as well as the + macro's definition. + +* The variable global-minor-modes is used to display + strings in the mode line of all buffers. It should be + a list of elements thaht are conses whose cdrs are strings + to be displayed. This complements the variable + minor-modes, which has the same effect but has a separate + value in each buffer. + +* C-x = describes horizontal scrolling in effect, if any. + +* Return now auto-fills the line it is ending, in auto fill mode. + Space with zero as argument auto-fills the line before it + just like Space without an argument. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.8 + +This release mostly fixes bugs. There are a few new features: + +* apropos now sorts the symbols before displaying them. + Also, it returns a list of the symbols found. + + apropos now accepts a second arg PRED which should be a function + of one argument; if PRED is non-nil, each symbol is tested + with PRED and only symbols for which PRED returns non-nil + appear in the output or the returned list. + + If the third argument to apropos is non-nil, apropos does not + display anything; it merely returns the list of symbols found. + + C-h a now runs the new function command-apropos rather than + apropos, and shows only symbols with definitions as commands. + +* M-x shell sends the command + if (-f ~/.emacs_NAME)source ~/.emacs_NAME + invisibly to the shell when it starts. Here NAME + is replaced by the name of shell used, + as it came from your ESHELL or SHELL environment variable + but with directory name, if any, removed. + +* M-, now runs the command tags-loop-continue, which is used + to resume a terminated tags-search or tags-query-replace. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.7 + +It's Beat CCA Week. + +* The initial buffer is now called "*scratch*" instead of "scratch", + so that all buffer names used automatically by Emacs now have *'s. + +* Undo information is now stored separately for each buffer. + The Undo command (C-x u) always applies to the current + buffer only. + + C-_ is now a synonym for C-x u. + + (buffer-flush-undo BUFFER) causes undo information not to + be kept for BUFFER, and frees the space that would have + been used to hold it. In any case, no undo information is + kept for buffers whose names start with spaces. (These + buffers also do not appear in the C-x C-b display.) + +* Rectangle operations are now implemented. + C-x r stores the rectangle described by dot and mark + into a register; it reads the register name from the keyboard. + C-x g, the command to insert the contents of a register, + can be used to reinsert the rectangle elsewhere. + + Other rectangle commands include + open-rectangle: + insert a blank rectangle in the position and size + described by dot and mark, at its corners; + the existing text is pushed to the right. + clear-rectangle: + replace the rectangle described by dot ane mark + with blanks. The previous text is deleted. + delete-rectangle: + delete the text of the specified rectangle, + moving the text beyond it on each line leftward. + +* Side-by-side windows are allowed. Use C-x 5 to split the + current window into two windows side by side. + C-x } makes the selected window ARG columns wider at the + expense of the windows at its sides. C-x { makes the selected + window ARG columns narrower. An argument to C-x 5 specifies + how many columns to give to the leftmost of the two windows made. + + C-x 2 now accepts a numeric argument to specify the number of + lines to give to the uppermost of the two windows it makes. + +* Horizontal scrolling of the lines in a window is now implemented. + C-x < (scroll-left) scrolls all displayed lines left, + with the numeric argument (default 1) saying how far to scroll. + When the window is scrolled left, some amount of the beginning + of each nonempty line is replaced by an "$". + C-x > scrolls right. If a window has no text hidden at the left + margin, it cannot be scrolled any farther right than that. + When nonzero leftwards scrolling is in effect in a window. + lines are automatically truncated at the window's right margin + regardless of the value of the variable truncate-lines in the + buffer being displayed. + +* C-x C-d now uses the default output format of `ls', + which gives just file names in multiple columns. + C-u C-x C-d passes the -l switch to `ls'. + +* C-t at the end of a line now exchanges the two preceding characters. + + All the transpose commands now interpret zero as an argument + to mean to transpose the textual unit after or around dot + with the one after or around the mark. + +* M-! executes a shell command in an inferior shell + and displays the output from it. With a prefix argument, + it inserts the output in the current buffer after dot + and sets the mark after the output. The shell command + gets /dev/null as its standard input. + + M-| is like M-! but passes the contents of the region + as input to the shell command. A prefix argument makes + the output from the command replace the contents of the region. + +* The mode line will now say "Def" after the major mode + while a keyboard macro is being defined. + +* The variable fill-prefix is now used by Meta-q. + Meta-q removes the fill prefix from lines that start with it + before filling, and inserts the fill prefix on each line + after filling. + + The command C-x . sets the fill prefix equal to the text + on the current line before dot. + +* The new command Meta-j (indent-new-comment-line), + is like Linefeed (indent-new-line) except when dot is inside a comment; + in that case, Meta-j inserts a comment starter on the new line, + indented under the comment starter above. It also inserts + a comment terminator at the end of the line above, + if the language being edited calls for one. + +* Rmail should work correctly now, and has some C-h m documentation. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.6 + +* save-buffers-kill-emacs is now on C-x C-c + while C-x C-z does suspend-emacs. This is to make + C-x C-c like the normal Unix meaning of C-c + and C-x C-z linke the normal Unix meaning of C-z. + +* M-ESC (eval-expression) is now a disabled command by default. + This prevents users who type ESC ESC accidentally from + getting confusing results. Put + (put 'eval-expression 'disabled nil) + in your ~/.emacs file to enable the command. + +* Self-inserting text is grouped into bunches for undoing. + Each C-x u command undoes up to 20 consecutive self-inserting + characters. + +* Help f now uses as a default the function being called + in the innermost Lisp expression that dot is in. + This makes it more convenient to use while writing + Lisp code to run in Emacs. + (If the text around dot does not appear to be a call + to a Lisp function, there is no default.) + + Likewise, Help v uses the symbol around or before dot + as a default, if that is a variable name. + +* Commands that read filenames now insert the default + directory in the minibuffer, to become part of your input. + This allows you to see what the default is. + You may type a filename which goes at the end of the + default directory, or you may edit the default directory + as you like to create the input you want to give. + You may also type an absolute pathname (starting with /) + or refer to a home directory (input starting with ~) + after the default; the presence of // or /~ causes + everything up through the slash that precedes your + type-in to be ignored. + + Returning the default directory without change, + including the terminating slash, requests the use + of the default file name (usually the visited file's name). + + Set the variable insert-default-directory to nil + to turn off this feature. + +* M-x shell now uses the environment variable ESHELL, + if it exists, as the file name of the shell to run. + If there is no ESHELL variable, the SHELL variable is used. + This is because some shells do not work properly as inferiors + of Emacs (or anything like Emacs). + +* A new variable minor-modes now exists, with a separate value + in each buffer. Its value should be an alist of elements + (MODE-FUNCTION-SYMBOL . PRETTY-NAME-STRING), one for each + minor mode that is turned on in the buffer. The pretty + name strings are displayed in the mode line after the name of the + major mode (with spaces between them). The mode function + symbols should be symbols whose function definitions will + turn on the minor mode if given 1 as an argument; they are present + so that Help m can find their documentation strings. + +* The format of tag table files has been changed. + The new format enables Emacs to find tags much faster. + + A new program, etags, exists to make the kind of + tag table that Emacs wants. etags is invoked just + like ctags; in fact, if you give it any switches, + it does exactly what ctags would do. Give it the + empty switch ("-") to make it act like ctags with no switches. + + etags names the tag table file "TAGS" rather than "tags", + so that these tag tables and the standard Unix ones + can coexist. + + The tags library can no longer use standard ctags-style + tag tables files. + +* The file of Lisp code Emacs reads on startup is now + called ~/.emacs rather than ~/.emacs_pro. + +* copy-file now gives the copied file the same mode bits + as the original file. + +* Output from a process inserted into the process's buffer + no longer sets the buffer's mark. Instead it sets a + marker associated with the process to point to the end + of the inserted text. You can access this marker with + (process-mark PROCESS) + and then either examine its position with marker-position + or set its position with set-marker. + +* completing-read takes a new optional fifth argument which, + if non-nil, should be a string of text to insert into + the minibuffer before reading user commands. + +* The Lisp function elt now exists: + (elt ARRAY N) is like (aref ARRAY N), + (elt LIST N) is like (nth N LIST). + +* rplaca is now a synonym for setcar, and rplacd for setcdr. + eql is now a synonym for eq; it turns out that the Common Lisp + distinction between eq and eql is insignificant in Emacs. + numberp is a new synonym for integerp. + +* auto-save has been renamed to auto-save-mode. + +* Auto save file names for buffers are now created by the + function make-auto-save-file-name. This is so you can + redefine that function to change the way auto save file names + are chosen. + +* expand-file-name no longer discards a final slash. + (expand-file-name "foo" "/lose") => "/lose/foo" + (expand-file-name "foo/" "/lose") => "/lose/foo/" + + Also, expand-file-name no longer substitutes $ constructs. + A new function substitute-in-file-name does this. Reading + a file name with read-file-name or the `f' or`F' option + of interactive calling uses substitute-in-file-name + on the file name that was read and returns the result. + + All I/O primitives including insert-file-contents and + delete-file call expand-file-name on the file name supplied. + This change makes them considerably faster in the usual case. + +* Interactive calling spec strings allow the new code letter 'D' + which means to read a directory name. It is like 'f' except + that the default if the user makes no change in the minibuffer + is to return the current default directory rather than the + current visited file name. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.5 + +* suspend-emacs now accepts an optional argument + which is a string to be stuffed as terminal input + to be read by Emacs's superior shell after Emacs exits. + + A library called ledit exists which uses this feature + to transmit text to a Lisp job running as a sibling of + Emacs. + +* If find-file is given the name of a directory, + it automatically invokes dired on that directory + rather than reading in the binary data that make up + the actual contents of the directory according to Unix. + +* Saving an Emacs buffer now preserves the file modes + of any previously existing file with the same name. + This works using new Lisp functions file-modes and + set-file-modes, which can be used to read or set the mode + bits of any file. + +* The Lisp function cond now exists, with its traditional meaning. + +* defvar and defconst now permit the documentation string + to be omitted. defvar also permits the initial value + to be omitted; then it acts only as a comment. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.4 + +* Auto-filling now normally indents the new line it creates + by calling indent-according-to-mode. This function, meanwhile, + has in Fundamental and Text modes the effect of making the line + have an indentation of the value of left-margin, a per-buffer variable. + + Tab no longer precisely does indent-according-to-mode; + it does that in all modes that supply their own indentation routine, + but in Fundamental, Text and allied modes it inserts a tab character. + +* The command M-x grep now invokes grep (on arguments + supplied by the user) and reads the output from grep + asynchronously into a buffer. The command C-x ` can + be used to move to the lines that grep has found. + This is an adaptation of the mechanism used for + running compilations and finding the loci of error messages. + + You can now use C-x ` even while grep or compilation + is proceeding; as more matches or error messages arrive, + C-x ` will parse them and be able to find them. + +* M-x mail now provides a command to send the message + and "exit"--that is, return to the previously selected + buffer. It is C-z C-z. + +* Tab in C mode now tries harder to adapt to all indentation styles. + If the line being indented is a statement that is not the first + one in the containing compound-statement, it is aligned under + the beginning of the first statement. + +* The functions screen-width and screen-height return the + total width and height of the screen as it is now being used. + set-screen-width and set-screen-height tell Emacs how big + to assume the screen is; they each take one argument, + an integer. + +* The Lisp function 'function' now exists. function is the + same as quote, except that it serves as a signal to the + Lisp compiler that the argument should be compiled as + a function. Example: + (mapcar (function (lambda (x) (+ x 5))) list) + +* The function set-key has been renamed to global-set-key. + undefine-key and local-undefine-key has been renamed to + global-unset-key and local-unset-key. + +* Emacs now collects input from asynchronous subprocesses + while waiting in the functions sleep-for and sit-for. + +* Shell mode's Newline command attempts to distinguish subshell + prompts from user input when issued in the middle of the buffer. + It no longer reexecutes from dot to the end of the line; + it reeexecutes the entire line minus any prompt. + The prompt is recognized by searching for the value of + shell-prompt-pattern, starting from the beginning of the line. + Anything thus skipped is not reexecuted. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.3 + +* An undo facility exists now. Type C-x u to undo a batch of + changes (usually one command's changes, but some commands + such as query-replace divide their changes into multiple + batches. You can repeat C-x u to undo further. As long + as no commands other than C-x u intervene, each one undoes + another batch. A numeric argument to C-x u acts as a repeat + count. + + If you keep on undoing, eventually you may be told that + you have used up all the recorded undo information. + Some actions, such as reading in files, discard all + undo information. + + The undo information is not currently stored separately + for each buffer, so it is mainly good if you do something + totally spastic. [This has since been fixed.] + +* A learn-by-doing tutorial introduction to Emacs now exists. + Type C-h t to enter it. + +* An Info documentation browser exists. Do M-x info to enter it. + It contains a tutorial introduction so that no more documentation + is needed here. As of now, the only documentation in it + is that of Info itself. + +* Help k and Help c are now different. Help c prints just the + name of the function which the specified key invokes. Help k + prints the documentation of the function as well. + +* A document of the differences between GNU Emacs and Twenex Emacs + now exists. It is called DIFF, in the same directory as this file. + +* C mode can now indent comments better, including multi-line ones. + Meta-Control-q now reindents comment lines within the expression + being aligned. + +* Insertion of a close-parenthesis now shows the matching open-parenthesis + even if it is off screen, by printing the text following it on its line + in the minibuffer. + +* A file can now contain a list of local variable values + to be in effect when the file is edited. See the file DIFF + in the same directory as this file for full details. + +* A function nth is defined. It means the same thing as in Common Lisp. + +* The function install-command has been renamed to set-key. + It now takes the key sequence as the first argument + and the definition for it as the second argument. + Likewise, local-install-command has been renamed to local-set-key. + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.2 + +* A Lisp single-stepping and debugging facility exists. + To cause the debugger to be entered when an error + occurs, set the variable debug-on-error non-nil. + + To cause the debugger to be entered whenever function foo + is called, do (debug-on-entry 'foo). To cancel this, + do (cancel-debug-on-entry 'foo). debug-on-entry does + not work for primitives (written in C), only functions + written in Lisp. Most standard Emacs commands are in Lisp. + + When the debugger is entered, the selected window shows + a buffer called " *Backtrace" which displays a series + of stack frames, most recently entered first. For each + frame, the function name called is shown, usually followed + by the argument values unless arguments are still being + calculated. At the beginning of the buffer is a description + of why the debugger was entered: function entry, function exit, + error, or simply that the user called the function `debug'. + + To exit the debugger and return to top level, type `q'. + + In the debugger, you can evaluate Lisp expressions by + typing `e'. This is equivalent to `M-ESC'. + + When the debugger is entered due to an error, that is + all you can do. When it is entered due to function entry + (such as, requested by debug-on-entry), you have two + options: + Continue execution and reenter debugger after the + completion of the function being entered. Type `c'. + Continue execution but enter the debugger before + the next subexpression. Type `d'. + + You will see that some stack frames are marked with *. + This means the debugger will be entered when those + frames exit. You will see the value being returned + in the first line of the backtrace buffer. Your options: + Continue execution, and return that value. Type `c'. + Continue execution, and return a specified value. Type `r'. + + You can mark a frame to enter the debugger on exit + with the `b' command, or clear such a mark with `u'. + +* Lisp macros now exist. + For example, you can write + (defmacro cadr (arg) (list 'car (list 'cdr arg))) + and then the expression + (cadr foo) + will expand into + (car (cdr foo)) + + + +Changes in Emacs 1.1 + +* The initial buffer is now called "scratch" and is in a + new major mode, Lisp Interaction mode. This mode is + intended for typing Lisp expressions, evaluating them, + and having the values printed into the buffer. + + Type Linefeed after a Lisp expression, to evaluate the + expression and have its value printed into the buffer, + advancing dot. + + The other commands of Lisp mode are available. + +* The C-x C-e command for evaluating the Lisp expression + before dot has been changed to print the value in the + minibuffer line rather than insert it in the buffer. + A numeric argument causes the printed value to appear + in the buffer instead. + +* In Lisp mode, the command M-C-x evaluates the defun + containing or following dot. The value is printed in + the minibuffer. + +* The value of a Lisp expression evaluated using M-ESC + is now printed in the minibuffer. + +* M-q now runs fill-paragraph, independent of major mode. + +* C-h m now prints documentation on the current buffer's + major mode. What it prints is the documentation of the + major mode name as a function. All major modes have been + equipped with documentation that describes all commands + peculiar to the major mode, for this purpose. + +* You can display a Unix manual entry with + the M-x manual-entry command. + +* You can run a shell, displaying its output in a buffer, + with the M-x shell command. The Return key sends input + to the subshell. Output is printed inserted automatically + in the buffer. Commands C-c, C-d, C-u, C-w and C-z are redefined + for controlling the subshell and its subjobs. + "cd", "pushd" and "popd" commands are recognized as you + enter them, so that the default directory of the Emacs buffer + always remains the same as that of the subshell. + +* C-x $ (that's a real dollar sign) controls line-hiding based + on indentation. With a numeric arg N > 0, it causes all lines + indented by N or more columns to become invisible. + They are, effectively, tacked onto the preceding line, where + they are represented by " ..." on the screen. + (The end of the preceding visible line corresponds to a + screen cursor position before the "...". Anywhere in the + invisible lines that follow appears on the screen as a cursor + position after the "...".) + Currently, all editing commands treat invisible lines just + like visible ones, except for C-n and C-p, which have special + code to count visible lines only. + C-x $ with no argument turns off this mode, which in any case + is remembered separately for each buffer. + +* Outline mode is another form of selective display. + It is a major mode invoked with M-x outline-mode. + It is intended for editing files that are structured as + outlines, with heading lines (lines that begin with one + or more asterisks) and text lines (all other lines). + The number of asterisks in a heading line are its level; + the subheadings of a heading line are all following heading + lines at higher levels, until but not including the next + heading line at the same or a lower level, regardless + of intervening text lines. + + In outline mode, you have commands to hide (remove from display) + or show the text or subheadings under each heading line + independently. Hidden text or subheadings are invisibly + attached to the end of the preceding heading line, so that + if you kill the hading line and yank it back elsewhere + all the invisible lines accompany it. + + All editing commands treat hidden outline-mode lines + as part of the preceding visible line. + +* C-x C-z runs save-buffers-kill-emacs + offers to save each file buffer, then exits. + +* C-c's function is now called suspend-emacs. + +* The command C-x m runs mail, which switches to a buffer *mail* + and lets you compose a message to send. C-x 4 m runs mail in + another window. Type C-z C-s in the mail buffer to send the + message according to what you have entered in the buffer. + + You must separate the headers from the message text with + an empty line. + +* You can now dired partial directories (specified with names + containing *'s, etc, all processed by the shell). Also, you + can dired more than one directory; dired names the buffer + according to the filespec or directory name. Reinvoking + dired on a directory already direded just switches back to + the same directory used last time; do M-x revert if you want + to read in the current contents of the directory. + + C-x d runs dired, and C-x 4 d runs dired in another window. + + C-x C-d (list-directory) also allows partial directories now. + + +Lisp programming changes + +* t as an output stream now means "print to the minibuffer". + If there is already text in the minibuffer printed via t + as an output stream, the new text is appended to the old + (or is truncated and lost at the margin). If the minibuffer + contains text put there for some other reason, it is cleared + first. + + t is now the top-level value of standard-output. + + t as an input stream now means "read via the minibuffer". + The minibuffer is used to read a line of input, with editing, + and this line is then parsed. Any excess not used by `read' + is ignored; each `read' from t reads fresh input. + t is now the top-level value of standard-input. + +* A marker may be used as an input stream or an output stream. + The effect is to grab input from where the marker points, + advancing it over the characters read, or to insert output + at the marker and advance it. + +* Output from an asynchronous subprocess is now inserted at + the end of the associated buffer, not at the buffer's dot, + and the buffer's mark is set to the end of the inserted output + each time output is inserted. + +* (pos-visible-in-window-p POS WINDOW) + returns t if position POS in WINDOW's buffer is in the range + that is being displayed in WINDOW; nil if it is scrolled + vertically out of visibility. + + If display in WINDOW is not currently up to date, this function + calculates carefully whether POS would appear if display were + done immediately based on the current (window-start WINDOW). + + POS defaults to (dot), and WINDOW to (selected-window). + +* Variable buffer-alist replaced by function (buffer-list). + The actual alist of buffers used internally by Emacs is now + no longer accessible, to prevent the user from crashing Emacs + by modifying it. The function buffer-list returns a list + of all existing buffers. Modifying this list cannot hurt anything + as a new list is constructed by each call to buffer-list. + +* load now takes an optional third argument NOMSG which, if non-nil, + prevents load from printing a message when it starts and when + it is done. + +* byte-recompile-directory is a new function which finds all + the .elc files in a directory, and regenerates each one which + is older than the corresponding .el (Lisp source) file. + + + +---------------------------------------------------------------------- +Copyright information: + +Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 2006 Richard M. Stallman + + Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim copies + of this document as received, in any medium, provided that the + copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved, + thus giving the recipient permission to redistribute in turn. + + Permission is granted to distribute modified versions + of this document, or of portions of it, + under the above conditions, provided also that they + carry prominent notices stating who last changed them. + +Local variables: +mode: text +end: + +arch-tag: 33dc900d-9c58-473b-87c9-b6d7222323ea |