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1.1 root 1: GNU Emacs NEWS -- history of user-visible changes. 17-Aug-1988
2: Copyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3: See the end for copying conditions.
4:
5: Changes in version 18.52.
6:
7: * X windows version 10 is supported under system V.
8:
9: * Pop-up menus are now supported with the same Lisp interface in
10: both version 10 and 11 of X windows.
11:
12: * C-x 4 a is a new command to edit a change-log entry in another window.
13:
14: * The emacs client program now allows an option +NNN to specify the
15: line number to go to in the file whose name follows. Thus,
16: emacsclient foo.c +45 bar.c
17: will find the files `foo.c' and `bar.c', going to line 45 in `bar.c'.
18:
19: * Dired allows empty directories to be deleted like files.
20:
21: * When the terminal type is used to find a terminal-specific file to
22: run, Emacs now tries the entire terminal type first. If that doesn't
23: yield a file that exists, the last hyphen and what follows it is
24: stripped. If that doesn't yield a file that exists, the previous
25: hyphen is stripped, and so on until all hyphens are gone. For
26: example, if the terminal type is `aaa-48-foo', Emacs will try first
27: `term/aaa-48-foo.el', then `term/aaa-48.el' and finally `term/aaa.el'.
28:
29: Underscores now receive the same treatment as hyphens.
30:
31: * Texinfo features: @defun, etc. texinfo-show-structure.
32: New template commands. texinfo-format-region.
33:
34: * The special "local variable" `eval' is now ignored if you are running
35: as root.
36:
37: * New command `c-macro-expand' shows the result of C macro expansion
38: in the region. It works using the C preprocessor, so its results
39: are completely accurate.
40:
41: * Errors in trying to auto save now flash error messages for a few seconds.
42:
43: * Killing a buffer now sends SIGHUP to the buffer's process.
44:
45: * New hooks.
46:
47: ** `spell-region' now allows you to filter the text before spelling-checking.
48: If the value of `spell-filter' is non-nil, it is called, with no arguments,
49: looking at a temporary buffer containing a copy of the text to be checked.
50: It can alter the text freely before the spell program sees it.
51:
52: ** The variable `lpr-command' now specifies the command to be used when
53: you use the commands to print text (such as M-x print-buffer).
54:
55: ** Posting netnews now calls the value of `news-inews-hook' (if not nil)
56: as a function of no arguments before the actual posting.
57:
58: ** Rmail now calls the value of `rmail-show-message-hook' (if not nil)
59: as a function of no arguments, each time a new message is selected.
60:
61: ** `kill-emacs' calls the value of `kill-emacs-hook' as a function of no args.
62:
63: * New libraries.
64: See the source code of each library for more information.
65:
66: ** icon.el: a major mode for editing programs written in Icon.
67:
68: ** life.el: a simulator for the cellular automaton "life". Load the
69: library and run M-x life.
70:
71: ** doctex.el: a library for converting the Emacs `etc/DOC' file of
72: documentation strings into TeX input.
73:
74: ** saveconf.el: a library which records the arrangement of windows and
75: buffers when you exit Emacs, and automatically recreates the same
76: setup the next time you start Emacs.
77:
78: ** uncompress.el: a library that automatically uncompresses files
79: when you visit them.
80:
81: ** c-fill.el: a mode for editing filled comments in C.
82:
83: ** kermit.el: an extended version of shell-mode designed for running kermit.
84:
85: ** spook.el: a library for adding some "distract the NSA" keywords to every
86: message you send.
87:
88: ** hideif.el: a library for hiding parts of a C program based on preprocessor
89: conditionals.
90:
91: ** autoinsert.el: a library to put in some initial text when you visit
92: a nonexistent file. The text used depends on the major mode, and
93: comes from a directory of files created by you.
94:
95: * New programming features.
96:
97: ** The variable `window-system-version' now contains the version number
98: of the window system you are using (if appropriate). When using X windows,
99: its value is either 10 or 11.
100:
101: ** (interactive "N") uses the prefix argument if any; otherwise, it reads
102: a number using the minibuffer.
103:
104: ** VMS: there are two new functions `vms-system-info' and `shrink-to-icon'.
105: The former allows you to get many kinds of system status information.
106: See its self-documentation for full details.
107: The second is used with the window system: it iconifies the Emacs window.
108:
109: ** VMS: the new function `define-logical-name' allows you to create
110: job-wide logical names. The old function `define-dcl-symbol' has been
111: removed.
112:
113: Changes in version 18.50.
114:
115: * X windows version 11 is supported.
116:
117: Define X11 in config.h if you want X version 11 instead of version 10.
118:
119: * The command M-x gdb runs the GDB debugger as an inferior.
120: It asks for the filename of the executable you want to debug.
121:
122: GDB runs as an inferior with I/O through an Emacs buffer. All the
123: facilities of Shell mode are available. In addition, each time your
124: program stops, and each time you select a new stack frame, the source
125: code is displayed in another window with an arrow added to the line
126: where the program is executing.
127:
128: Special GDB-mode commands include M-s, M-n, M-i, M-u, M-d, and C-c C-f
129: which send the GDB commands `step', `next', `stepi', `up', `down'
130: and `finish'.
131:
132: In any source file, the commands C-x SPC tells GDB to set a breakpoint
133: on the current line.
134:
135: * M-x calendar displays a three-month calendar.
136:
137: * C-u 0 C-x C-s never makes a backup file.
138:
139: This is a way you can explicitly request not to make a backup.
140:
141: * `term-setup-hook' is for users only.
142:
143: Emacs never uses this variable for internal purposes, so you can freely
144: set it in your `.emacs' file to make Emacs do something special after
145: loading any terminal-specific setup file from `lisp/term'.
146:
147: * `copy-keymap' now copies recursive submaps.
148:
149: * New overlay-arrow feature.
150:
151: If you set the variable `overlay-arrow-string' to a string
152: and `overlay-arrow-position' to a marker, that string is displayed on
153: the screen at the position of that marker, hiding whatever text would
154: have appeared there. If that position isn't on the screen, or if
155: the buffer the marker points into isn't displayed, there is no effect.
156:
157: * -batch mode can read from the terminal.
158:
159: It now works to use `read-char' to do terminal input in a noninteractive
160: Emacs run. End of file causes Emacs to exit.
161:
162: * Variables `data-bytes-used' and `data-bytes-free' removed.
163:
164: These variables cannot really work because the 24-bit range of an
165: integer in (most ports of) GNU Emacs is not large enough to hold their
166: values on many systems.
167:
168: Changes in version 18.45, since version 18.41.
169:
170: * C indentation parameter `c-continued-brace-offset'.
171:
172: This parameter's value is added to the indentation of any
173: line that is in a continuation context and starts with an open-brace.
174: For example, it applies to the open brace shown here:
175:
176: if (x)
177: {
178:
179: The default value is zero.
180:
181: * Dabbrev expansion (Meta-/) preserves case.
182:
183: When you use Meta-/ to search the buffer for an expansion of an
184: abbreviation, if the expansion found is all lower case except perhaps
185: for its first letter, then the case pattern of the abbreviation
186: is carried over to the expansion that replaces it.
187:
188: * TeX-mode syntax.
189:
190: \ is no longer given "escape character" syntax in TeX mode. It now
191: has the syntax of an ordinary punctuation character. As a result,
192: \[...\] and such like are considered to balance each other.
193:
194: * Mail-mode automatic Reply-to field.
195:
196: If the variable `mail-default-reply-to' is non-`nil', then each time
197: you start to compose a message, a Reply-to field is inserted with
198: its contents taken from the value of `mail-default-reply-to'.
199:
200: * Where is your .emacs file?
201:
202: If you run Emacs under `su', so your real and effective uids are
203: different, Emacs uses the home directory associated with the real uid
204: (the name you actually logged in under) to find the .emacs file.
205:
206: Otherwise, Emacs uses the environment variable HOME to find the .emacs
207: file.
208:
209: The .emacs file is not loaded at all if -batch is specified.
210:
211: * Prolog mode is the default for ".pl" files.
212:
213: * File names are not case-sensitive on VMS.
214:
215: On VMS systems, all file names that you specify are converted to upper
216: case. You can use either upper or lower case indiscriminately.
217:
218: * VMS-only function 'define-dcl-symbol'.
219:
220: This is a new name for the function formerly called
221: `define-logical-name'.
222:
223: Editing Changes in Emacs 18
224:
225: * Additional systems and machines are supported.
226:
227: GNU Emacs now runs on Vax VMS. However, many facilities that are normally
228: implemented by running subprocesses do not work yet. This includes listing
229: a directory and sending mail. There are features for running subprocesses
230: but they are incompatible with those on Unix. I hope that some of
231: the VMS users can reimplement these features for VMS (compatibly for
232: the user, if possible).
233:
234: VMS wizards are also asked to work on making the subprocess facilities
235: more upward compatible with those on Unix, and also to rewrite their
236: internals to use the same Lisp objects that are used on Unix to
237: represent processes.
238:
239: In addition, the TI Nu machine running Unix system V, the AT&T 3b, and
240: the Wicat, Masscomp, Integrated Solutions, Alliant, Amdahl uts, Mips,
241: Altos 3068 and Gould Unix systems are now supported. The IBM PC-RT is
242: supported under 4.2, but not yet under system V. The GEC 93 is close
243: to working. The port for the Elxsi is partly merged. See the file
244: MACHINES for full status information and machine-specific installation
245: advice.
246:
247: * Searching is faster.
248:
249: Forward search for a text string, or for a regexp that is equivalent
250: to a text string, is now several times faster. Motion by lines and
251: counting lines is also faster.
252:
253: * Memory usage improvements.
254:
255: It is no longer possible to run out of memory during garbage
256: collection. As a result, running out of memory is never fatal. This
257: is due to a new garbage collection algorithm which compactifies
258: strings in place rather than copying them. Another consequence of the
259: change is a reduction in total memory usage and a slight increase in
260: garbage collection speed.
261:
262: * Display changes.
263:
264: ** Editing above top of screen.
265:
266: When you delete or kill or alter text that reaches to the top of the
267: screen or above it, so that display would start in the middle of a
268: line, Emacs will usually attempt to scroll the text so that display
269: starts at the beginning of a line again.
270:
271: ** Yanking in the minibuffer.
272:
273: The message "Mark Set" is no longer printed when the minibuffer is
274: active. This is convenient with many commands, including C-y, that
275: normally print such a message.
276:
277: ** Cursor appears in last line during y-or-n questions.
278:
279: Questions that want a `y' or `n' answer now move the cursor
280: to the last line, following the question.
281:
282: * Library loading changes.
283:
284: `load' now considers all possible suffixes (`.elc', `.el' and none)
285: for each directory in `load-path' before going on to the next directory.
286: It now accepts an optional fourth argument which, if non-nil, says to
287: use no suffixes; then the file name must be given in full. The search
288: of the directories in `load-path' goes on as usual in this case, but
289: it too can be prevented by passing an absolute file name.
290:
291: The value of `load-path' no longer by default includes nil (meaning to
292: look in the current default directory). The idea is that `load' should
293: be used to search the path only for libraries to be found in the standard
294: places. If you want to override system libraries with your own, place
295: your own libraries in one special directory and add that directory to the
296: front of `load-path'.
297:
298: The function `load' is no longer a command; that is to say, `M-x load'
299: is no longer allowed. Instead, there are two commands for loading files.
300: `M-x load-library' is equivalent to the old meaning of `M-x load'.
301: `M-x load-file' reads a file name with completion and defaulting
302: and then loads exactly that file, with no searching and no suffixes.
303:
304: * Emulation of other editors.
305:
306: ** `edt-emulation-on' starts emulating DEC's EDT editor.
307:
308: Do `edt-emulation-off' to return Emacs to normal.
309:
310: ** `vi-mode' and `vip-mode' starts emulating vi.
311:
312: These are two different vi emulations provided by GNU Emacs users.
313: We are interested in feedback as to which emulation is preferable.
314:
315: See the documentation and source code for these functions
316: for more information.
317:
318: ** `set-gosmacs-bindings' emulates Gosling Emacs.
319:
320: This command changes many global bindings to resemble those of
321: Gosling Emacs. The previous bindings are saved and can be restored using
322: `set-gnu-bindings'.
323:
324: * Emulation of a display terminal.
325:
326: Within Emacs it is now possible to run programs (such as emacs or
327: supdup) which expect to do output to a visual display terminal.
328:
329: See the function `terminal-emulator' for more information.
330:
331: * New support for keypads and function keys.
332:
333: There is now a first attempt at terminal-independent support for
334: keypad and function keys.
335:
336: Emacs now defines a standard set of key-names for function and keypad
337: keys, and provides standard hooks for defining them. Most of the
338: standard key-names have default definitions built into Emacs; you can
339: override these in a terminal-independent manner. The default definitions
340: and the conventions for redefining them are in the file `lisp/keypad.el'.
341:
342: These keys on the terminal normally work by sending sequences of
343: characters starting with ESC. The exact sequences used vary from
344: terminal to terminal. Emacs interprets them in two stages:
345: in the first stage, terminal-dependent sequences are mapped into
346: the standard key-names; then second stage maps the standard key-names
347: into their definitions in a terminal-independent fashion.
348:
349: The terminal-specific file `term/$TERM.el' now is responsible only for
350: establishing the mapping from the terminal's escape sequences into
351: standard key-names. It no longer knows what Emacs commands are
352: assigned to the standard key-names.
353:
354: One other change in terminal-specific files: if the value of the TERM
355: variable contains a hyphen, only the part before the first hyphen is
356: used in forming the name of the terminal-specific file. Thus, for
357: terminal type `aaa-48', the file loaded is now `term/aaa.el' rather
358: than `term/aaa-48.el'.
359:
360: * New startup command line options.
361:
362: `-i FILE' or `-insert FILE' in the command line to Emacs tells Emacs to
363: insert the contents of FILE into the current buffer at that point in
364: command line processing. This is like using the command M-x insert-file.
365:
366: `-funcall', `-load', `-user' and `-no-init-file' are new synonyms for
367: `-f', `-l', `-u' and `-q'.
368:
369: `-nw' means don't use a window system. If you are using a terminal
370: emulator on the X window system and you want to run Emacs to work through
371: the terminal emulator instead of working directly with the window system,
372: use this switch.
373:
374: * Buffer-sorting commands.
375:
376: Various M-x commands whose names start with `sort-' sort parts of
377: the region:
378:
379: sort-lines divides the region into lines and sorts them alphabetically.
380: sort-pages divides into pages and sorts them alphabetically.
381: sort-paragraphs divides into paragraphs and sorts them alphabetically.
382: sort-fields divides into lines and sorts them alphabetically
383: according to one field in the line.
384: The numeric argument specifies which field (counting
385: from field 1 at the beginning of the line). Fields in a line
386: are separated by whitespace.
387: sort-numeric-fields
388: is similar but converts the specified fields to numbers
389: and sorts them numerically.
390: sort-columns divides into lines and sorts them according to the contents
391: of a specified range of columns.
392:
393: Refer to the self-documentation of these commands for full usage information.
394:
395: * Changes in various commands.
396:
397: ** `tags-query-replace' and `tags-search' change.
398:
399: These functions now display the name of the file being searched at the moment.
400:
401: ** `occur' output now serves as a menu. `occur-menu' command deleted.
402:
403: `M-x occur' now allows you to move quickly to any of the occurrences
404: listed. Select the `*Occur*' buffer that contains the output of `occur',
405: move point to the occurrence you want, and type C-c C-c.
406: This will move point to the same occurrence in the buffer that the
407: occurrences were found in.
408:
409: The command `occur-menu' is thus obsolete, and has been deleted.
410:
411: One way to get a list of matching lines without line numbers is to
412: copy the text to another buffer and use the command `keep-lines'.
413:
414: ** Incremental search changes.
415:
416: Ordinary and regexp incremental searches now have distinct default
417: search strings. Thus, regexp searches recall only previous regexp
418: searches.
419:
420: If you exit an incremental search when the search string is empty,
421: the old default search string is kept. The default does not become
422: empty.
423:
424: Reversing the direction of an incremental search with C-s or C-r
425: when the search string is empty now does not get the default search
426: string. It leaves the search string empty. A second C-s or C-r
427: will get the default search string. As a result, you can do a reverse
428: incremental regexp search with C-M-s C-r.
429:
430: If you add a `*', `?' or `\|' to an incremental search regexp,
431: point will back up if that is appropriate. For example, if
432: you have searched for `ab' and add a `*', point moves to the
433: first match for `ab*', which may be before the match for `ab'
434: that was previously found.
435:
436: If an incremental search is failing and you ask to repeat it,
437: it will start again from the beginning of the buffer (or the end,
438: if it is a backward search).
439:
440: The search-controlling parameters `isearch-slow-speed' and
441: `isearch-slow-window-lines' have now been renamed to start with
442: `search' instead of `isearch'. Now all the parameters' names start
443: with `search'.
444:
445: If `search-slow-window-lines' is negative, the slow search window
446: is put at the top of the screen, and the absolute value or the
447: negative number specifies the height of it.
448:
449: ** Undo changes
450:
451: The undo command now will mark the buffer as unmodified only when it is
452: identical to the contents of the visited file.
453:
454: ** C-M-v in minibuffer.
455:
456: If while in the minibuffer you request help in a way that uses a
457: window to display something, then until you exit the minibuffer C-M-v
458: in the minibuffer window scrolls the window of help.
459:
460: For example, if you request a list of possible completions, C-M-v can
461: be used reliably to scroll the completion list.
462:
463: ** M-TAB command.
464:
465: Meta-TAB performs completion on the Emacs Lisp symbol names. The sexp
466: in the buffer before point is compared against all existing nontrivial
467: Lisp symbols and completed as far as is uniquely determined by them.
468: Nontrivial symbols are those with either function definitions, values
469: or properties.
470:
471: If there are multiple possibilities for the very next character, a
472: list of possible completions is displayed.
473:
474: ** Dynamic abbreviation package.
475:
476: The new command Meta-/ expands an abbreviation in the buffer before point
477: by searching the buffer for words that start with the abbreviation.
478:
479: ** Changes in saving kbd macros.
480:
481: The commands `write-kbd-macro' and `append-kbd-macro' have been
482: deleted. The way to save a keyboard macro is to use the new command
483: `insert-kbd-macro', which inserts Lisp code to define the macro as
484: it is currently defined into the buffer before point. Visit a Lisp
485: file such as your Emacs init file `~/.emacs', insert the macro
486: definition (perhaps deleting an old definition for the same macro)
487: and then save the file.
488:
489: ** C-x ' command.
490:
491: The new command C-x ' (expand-abbrev) expands the word before point as
492: an abbrev, even if abbrev-mode is not turned on.
493:
494: ** Sending to inferior Lisp.
495:
496: The command C-M-x in Lisp mode, which sends the current defun to
497: an inferior Lisp process, now works by writing the text into a temporary
498: file and actually sending only a `load'-form to load the file.
499: As a result, it avoids the Unix bugs that used to strike when the
500: text was above a certain length.
501:
502: With a prefix argument, this command now makes the inferior Lisp buffer
503: appear on the screen and scrolls it so that the bottom is showing.
504:
505: Two variables `inferior-lisp-load-command' and `inferior-lisp-prompt',
506: exist to customize these feature for different Lisp implementations.
507:
508: ** C-x p now disabled.
509:
510: The command C-x p, a nonrecomended command which narrows to the current
511: page, is now initially disabled like C-x n.
512:
513: * Dealing with files.
514:
515: ** C-x C-v generalized
516:
517: This command is now allowed even if the current buffer is not visiting
518: a file. As usual, it kills the current buffer and replaces it with a
519: newly found file.
520:
521: ** M-x recover-file improved; auto save file names changed.
522:
523: M-x recover-file now checks whether the last auto-save file is more
524: recent than the real visited file before offering to read in the
525: auto-save file. If the auto-save file is newer, a directory listing
526: containing the two files is displayed while you are asked whether you
527: want the auto save file.
528:
529: Visiting a file also makes this check. If the auto-save file is more recent,
530: a message is printed suggesting that you consider using M-x recover file.
531:
532: Auto save file names now by default have a `#' at the end as well
533: as at the beginning. This is so that `*.c' in a shell command
534: will never match auto save files.
535:
536: On VMS, auto save file names are made by appending `_$' at the front
537: and `$' at the end.
538:
539: When you change the visited file name of a buffer, the auto save file
540: is now renamed to belong to the new visited file name.
541:
542: You can customize the way auto save file names are made by redefining
543: the two functions `make-auto-save-file-name' and `auto-save-file-name-p',
544: both of which are defined in `files.el'.
545:
546: ** Modifying a buffer whose file is changed on disk is detected instantly.
547:
548: On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
549: implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
550: whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or saved.
551: If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change the buffer.
552:
553: ** Exiting Emacs offers to save `*mail*'.
554:
555: Emacs can now know about buffers that it should offer to save on exit
556: even though they are not visiting files. This is done for any buffer
557: which has a non-nil local value of `buffer-offer-save'. By default,
558: Mail mode provides such a local value.
559:
560: ** Backup file changes.
561:
562: If a backup file cannot be written in the directory of the visited file
563: due to fascist file protection, a backup file is now written in your home
564: directory as `~/%backup%~'. Only one such file is made, ever, so only
565: the most recently made such backup is available.
566:
567: When backup files are made by copying, the last-modification time of the
568: original file is now preserved in the backup copy.
569:
570: ** Visiting remote files.
571:
572: On an internet host, you can now visit and save files on any other
573: internet host directly from Emacs with the commands M-x ftp-find-file
574: and M-x ftp-write-file. Specify an argument of the form HOST:FILENAME.
575: Since standard internet FTP is used, the other host may be any kind
576: of machine and is not required to have any special facilities.
577:
578: The first time any one remote host is accessed, you will be asked to
579: give the user name and password for use on that host. FTP is reinvoked
580: each time you ask to use it, but previously specified user names and
581: passwords are remembered automatically.
582:
583: ** Dired `g' command.
584:
585: `g' in Dired mode is equivalent to M-x revert-buffer; it causes the
586: current contents of the same directory to be read in.
587:
588: * Changes in major modes.
589:
590: ** C mode indentation change.
591:
592: The binding of Linefeed is no longer changed by C mode. It once again
593: has its normal meaning, which is to insert a newline and then indent
594: afterward.
595:
596: The old definition did one additional thing: it reindented the line
597: before the new newline. This has been removed because it made the
598: command twice as slow. The only time it was really useful was after the
599: insertion of an `else', since the fact of starting with `else' may change
600: the way that line is indented. Now you will have to type TAB again
601: yourself to reindent the `else' properly.
602:
603: If the variable `c-tab-always-indent' is set to `nil', the TAB command
604: in C mode, with no argument, will just insert a tab character if there
605: is non-whitespace preceding point on the current line. Giving it a
606: prefix argument will force reindentation of the line (as well as
607: of the compound statement that begins after point, if any).
608:
609: ** Fortran mode now exists.
610:
611: This mode provides commands for motion and indentation of Fortran code,
612: plus built-in abbrevs for Fortran keywords. For details, see the manual
613: or the on-line documentation of the command `fortran-mode'.
614:
615: ** Scribe mode now exists.
616:
617: This mode does something useful for editing files of Scribe input.
618: It is used automatically for files with names ending in ".mss".
619:
620: ** Modula2 and Prolog modes now exist.
621:
622: These modes are for editing programs in the languages of the same names.
623: They can be selected with M-x modula-2-mode and M-x prolog-mode.
624:
625: ** Telnet mode changes.
626:
627: The telnet mode special commands have now been assigned to C-c keys.
628: Most of them are the same as in Shell mode.
629:
630: ** Picture mode changes.
631:
632: The special picture-mode commands to specify the direction of cursor
633: motion after insertion have been moved to C-c keys. The commands to
634: specify diagonal motion were already C-c keys; they are unchanged.
635: The keys to specify horizontal or vertical motion are now
636: C-c < (left), C-c > (right), C-c ^ (up) and C-c . (down).
637:
638: ** Nroff mode comments.
639:
640: Comments are now supported in Nroff mode. The standard comment commands
641: such as M-; and C-x ; know how to insert, align and delete comments
642: that start with backslash-doublequote.
643:
644: ** LaTeX mode.
645:
646: LaTeX mode now exists. Use M-x latex-mode to select this mode, and
647: M-x plain-tex-mode to select the previously existing mode for Plain
648: TeX. M-x tex-mode attempts to examine the contents of the buffer and
649: choose between latex-mode and plain-tex-mode accordingly; if the
650: buffer is empty or it cannot tell, the variable `TeX-default-mode'
651: controls the choice. Its value should be the symbol for the mode to
652: be used.
653:
654: The facilities for running TeX on all or part of the buffer
655: work with LaTeX as well.
656:
657: Some new commands available in both modes:
658:
659: C-c C-l recenter the window showing the TeX output buffer
660: so most recent line of output can be seen.
661: C-c C-k kill the TeX subprocess.
662: C-c C-q show the printer queue.
663: C-c C-f close a block (appropriate for LaTeX only).
664: If the current line contains a \begin{...},
665: this inserts an \end{...} on the following line
666: and puts point on a blank line between them.
667:
668: ** Outline mode changes.
669:
670: Invisible lines in outline mode are now indicated by `...' at the
671: end of the previous visible line.
672:
673: The special outline heading motion commands are now all on C-c keys.
674: A few new ones have been added. Here is a full list:
675:
676: C-c C-n Move to next visible heading (formerly M-})
677: C-c C-p Move to previous visible heading (formerly M-{)
678: C-c C-f Move to next visible heading at the same level.
679: Thus, if point is on a level-2 heading line,
680: this command moves to the next visible level-2 heading.
681: C-c C-b Move to previous visible heading at the same level.
682: C-c C-u Move up to previous visible heading at a higher level.
683:
684: The variable `outline-regexp' now controls recognition of heading lines.
685: Any line whose beginning matches this regexp is a heading line.
686: The depth in outline structure is determined by the length of
687: the string that matches.
688:
689: A line starting with a ^L (formfeed) is now by default considered
690: a header line.
691:
692: * Mail reading and sending.
693:
694: ** MH-E changes.
695:
696: MH-E has been extensively modified and improved since the v17 release.
697: It contains many new features, including commands to: extracted failed
698: messages, kill a draft message, undo changes to a mail folder, monitor
699: delivery of a letter, print multiple messages, page digests backwards,
700: insert signatures, and burst digests. Also, many commands have been
701: made to able to deal with named sequences of messages, instead of
702: single messages. MH-E also has had numerous bugs fixed and commands
703: made to run faster. Furthermore, its keybindings have been changed to
704: be compatible with Rmail and the rest of GNU Emacs.
705:
706: ** Mail mode changes.
707:
708: The C-c commands of mail mode have been rearranged:
709:
710: C-c s, C-c c, C-c t and C-c b (move point to various header fields)
711: have been reassigned as C-c C-f C-s, C-c C-f C-c, C-c C-f C-t and C-c
712: C-f C-b. C-c C-f is for "field".
713:
714: C-c y, C-c w and C-c q have been changed to C-c C-y, C-c C-w and C-c C-q.
715:
716: Thus, C-c LETTER is always unassigned.
717:
718: ** Rmail C-r command changed to w.
719:
720: The Rmail command to edit the current message is now `w'. This change
721: has been made because people frequently type C-r while in Rmail hoping
722: to do a reverse incremental search. That now works.
723:
724: * Rnews changes.
725:
726: ** Caesar rotation added.
727:
728: The function news-caesar-buffer-body performs encryption and
729: decryption of the body of a news message. It defaults to the USENET
730: standard of 13, and accepts any numeric arg between 1 to 25 and -25 to -1.
731: The function is bound to C-c C-r in both news-mode and news-reply-mode.
732:
733: ** rmail-output command added.
734:
735: The C-o command has been bound to rmail-output in news-mode.
736: This allows one to append an article to a file which is in either Unix
737: mail or RMAIL format.
738:
739: ** news-reply-mode changes.
740:
741: The C-c commands of news reply mode have been rearranged and changed,
742: so that C-c LETTER is always unassigned:
743:
744: C-c y, C-c w and C-c q have been changed to C-c C-y, C-c C-w and C-c C-q.
745:
746: C-c c, C-c t, and C-c b (move to various mail header fields) have been
747: deleted (they make no sense for posting and replying to USENET).
748:
749: C-c s (move to Subject: header field) has been reassigned as C-c C-f
750: C-s. C-c C-f is for "field". Several additional move to news header
751: field commands have been added.
752:
753: The local news-reply-mode bindings now look like this:
754:
755: C-c C-s news-inews (post the message) C-c C-c news-inews
756: C-c C-f move to a header field (and create it if there isn't):
757: C-c C-f C-n move to Newsgroups: C-c C-f C-s move to Subj:
758: C-c C-f C-f move to Followup-To: C-c C-f C-k move to Keywords:
759: C-c C-f C-d move to Distribution: C-c C-f C-a move to Summary:
760: C-c C-y news-reply-yank-original (insert current message, in NEWS).
761: C-c C-q mail-fill-yanked-message (fill what was yanked).
762: C-c C-r caesar rotate all letters by 13 places in the article's body (rot13).
763:
764: * Existing Emacs usable as a server.
765:
766: Programs such as mailers that invoke "the editor" as an inferior
767: to edit some text can now be told to use an existing Emacs process
768: instead of creating a new editor.
769:
770: To do this, you must have an Emacs process running and capable of
771: doing terminal I/O at the time you want to invoke it. This means that
772: either you are using a window system and give Emacs a separate window
773: or you run the other programs as inferiors of Emacs (such as, using
774: M-x shell).
775:
776: First prepare the existing Emacs process by loading the `server'
777: library and executing M-x server-start. (Your .emacs can do this
778: automatically.)
779:
780: Now tell the other programs to use, as "the editor", the Emacs client
781: program (etc/emacsclient, located in the same directory as this file).
782: This can be done by setting the environment variable EDITOR.
783:
784: When another program invokes the emacsclient as "the editor", the
785: client actually transfers the file names to be edited to the existing
786: Emacs, which automatically visits the files.
787:
788: When you are done editing a buffer for a client, do C-x # (server-edit).
789: This marks that buffer as done, and selects the next buffer that the client
790: asked for. When all the buffers requested by a client are marked in this
791: way, Emacs tells the client program to exit, so that the program that
792: invoked "the editor" will resume execution.
793:
794: You can only have one server Emacs at a time, but multiple client programs
795: can put in requests at the same time.
796:
797: The client/server work only on Berkeley Unix, since they use the Berkeley
798: sockets mechanism for their communication.
799:
800: Changes in Lisp programming in Emacs version 18.
801:
802: * Init file changes.
803:
804: ** Suffixes no longer accepted on `.emacs'.
805:
806: Emacs will no longer load a file named `.emacs.el' or `emacs.elc'
807: in place of `.emacs'. This is so that it will take less time to
808: find `.emacs'. If you want to compile your init file, give it another
809: name and make `.emacs' a link to the `.elc' file, or make it contain
810: a call to `load' to load the `.elc' file.
811:
812: ** `default-profile' renamed to `default', and loaded after `.emacs'.
813:
814: It used to be the case that the file `default-profile' was loaded if
815: and only if `.emacs' was not found.
816:
817: Now the name `default-profile' is not used at all. Instead, a library
818: named `default' is loaded after the `.emacs' file. `default' is loaded
819: whether the `.emacs' file exists or not. However, loading of `default'
820: can be prevented if the `.emacs' file sets `inhibit-default-init' to non-nil.
821:
822: In fact, you would call the default file `default.el' and probably would
823: byte-compile it to speed execution.
824:
825: Note that for most purposes you are better off using a `site-init' library
826: since that will be loaded before the runnable Emacs is dumped. By using
827: a `site-init' library, you avoid taking up time each time Emacs is started.
828:
829: ** inhibit-command-line has been eliminated.
830:
831: This variable used to exist for .emacs files to set. It has been
832: eliminated because you can get the same effect by setting
833: command-line-args to nil and setting inhibit-startup-message to t.
834:
835: * `apply' is more general.
836:
837: `apply' now accepts any number of arguments. The first one is a function;
838: the rest are individual arguments to pass to that function, except for the
839: last, which is a list of arguments to pass.
840:
841: Previously, `apply' required exactly two arguments. Its old behavior
842: follows as a special case of the new definition.
843:
844: * New code-letter for `interactive'.
845:
846: (interactive "NFoo: ") is like (interactive "nFoo: ") in reading
847: a number using the minibuffer to serve as the argument; however,
848: if a prefix argument was specified, it uses the prefix argument
849: value as the argument, and does not use the minibuffer at all.
850:
851: This is used by the `goto-line' and `goto-char' commands.
852:
853: * Semantics of variables.
854:
855: ** Built-in per-buffer variables improved.
856:
857: Several built-in variables which in the past had a different value in
858: each buffer now behave exactly as if `make-variable-buffer-local' had
859: been done to them.
860:
861: These variables are `tab-width', `ctl-arrow', `truncate-lines',
862: `fill-column', `left-margin', `mode-line-format', `abbrev-mode',
863: `overwrite-mode', `case-fold-search', `auto-fill-hook',
864: `selective-display', `selective-display-ellipses'.
865:
866: To be precise, each variable has a default value which shows through
867: in most buffers and can be accessed with `default-value' and set with
868: `set-default'. Setting the variable with `setq' makes the variable
869: local to the current buffer. Changing the default value has retroactive
870: effect on all buffers in which the variable is not local.
871:
872: The variables `default-case-fold-search', etc., are now obsolete.
873: They now refer to the default value of the variable, which is not
874: quite the same behavior as before, but it should enable old init files
875: to continue to work.
876:
877: ** New per-buffer variables.
878:
879: The variables `fill-prefix', `comment-column' and `indent-tabs-mode'
880: are now per-buffer. They work just like `fill-column', etc.
881:
882: ** New function `setq-default'.
883:
884: `setq-default' sets the default value of a variable, and uses the
885: same syntax that `setq' accepts: the variable name is not evaluated
886: and need not be quoted.
887:
888: `(setq-default case-fold-search nil)' would make searches case-sensitive
889: in all buffers that do not have local values for `case-fold-search'.
890:
891: ** Functions `global-set' and `global-value' deleted.
892:
893: These functions were never used except by mistake by users expecting
894: the functionality of `set-default' and `default-value'.
895:
896: * Changes in defaulting of major modes.
897:
898: When `default-major-mode' is `nil', new buffers are supposed to
899: get their major mode from the buffer that is current. However,
900: certain major modes (such as Dired mode, Rmail mode, Rmail Summary mode,
901: and others) are not reasonable to use in this way.
902:
903: Now such modes' names have been given non-`nil' `mode-class' properties.
904: If the current buffer's mode has such a property, Fundamental mode is
905: used as the default for newly created buffers.
906:
907: * `where-is-internal' requires additional arguments.
908:
909: This function now accepts three arguments, two of them required:
910: DEFINITION, the definition to search for; LOCAL-KEYMAP, the keymap
911: to use as the local map when doing the searching, and FIRST-ONLY,
912: which is nonzero to return only the first key found.
913:
914: This function returns a list of keys (strings) whose definitions
915: (in the LOCAL-KEYMAP or the current global map) are DEFINITION.
916:
917: If FIRST-ONLY is non-nil, it returns a single key (string).
918:
919: This function has changed incompatibly in that now two arguments
920: are required when previously only one argument was allowed. To get
921: the old behavior of this function, write `(current-local-map)' as
922: the expression for the second argument.
923:
924: The incompatibility is sad, but `nil' is a legitimate value for the
925: second argument (it means there is no local keymap), so it cannot also
926: serve as a default meaning to use the current local keymap.
927:
928: * Abbrevs with hooks.
929:
930: When an abbrev defined with a hook is expanded, it now performs the
931: usual replacement of the abbrev with the expansion before running the
932: hook. Previously the abbrev itself was deleted but the expansion was
933: not inserted.
934:
935: * Function `scan-buffer' deleted.
936:
937: Use `search-forward' or `search-backward' in place of `scan-buffer'.
938: You will have to rearrange the arguments.
939:
940: * X window interface improvements.
941:
942: ** Detect release of mouse buttons.
943:
944: Button-up events can now be detected. See the file `lisp/x-mouse.el'
945: for details.
946:
947: ** New pop-up menu facility.
948:
949: The new function `x-popup-menu' pops up a menu (in a X window)
950: and returns an indication of which selection the user made.
951: For more information, see its self-documentation.
952:
953: * M-x disassemble.
954:
955: This command prints the disassembly of a byte-compiled Emacs Lisp function.
956:
957: Would anyone like to interface this to the debugger?
958:
959: * `insert-buffer-substring' can insert part of the current buffer.
960:
961: The old restriction that the text being inserted had to come from
962: a different buffer is now lifted.
963:
964: When inserting text from the current buffer, the text to be inserted
965: is determined from the specified bounds before any copying takes place.
966:
967: * New function `substitute-key-definition'.
968:
969: This is a new way to replace one command with another command as the
970: binding of whatever keys may happen to refer to it.
971:
972: (substitute-key-definition OLDDEF NEWDEF KEYMAP) looks through KEYMAP
973: for keys defined to run OLDDEF, and rebinds those keys to run NEWDEF
974: instead.
975:
976: * New function `insert-char'.
977:
978: Insert a specified character, a specified number of times.
979:
980: * `mark-marker' changed.
981:
982: When there is no mark, this now returns a marker that points
983: nowhere, rather than `nil'.
984:
985: * `ding' accepts argument.
986:
987: When given an argument, the function `ding' does not terminate
988: execution of a keyboard macro. Normally, `ding' does terminate
989: all macros that are currently executing.
990:
991: * New function `minibuffer-depth'.
992:
993: This function returns the current depth in minibuffer activations.
994: The value is zero when the minibuffer is not in use.
995: Values greater than one are possible if the user has entered the
996: minibuffer recursively.
997:
998: * New function `documentation-property'.
999:
1000: (documentation-property SYMBOL PROPNAME) is like (get SYMBOL PROPNAME),
1001: except that if the property value is a number `documentation-property'
1002: will take that number (or its absolute value) as a character position
1003: in the DOC file and return the string found there.
1004:
1005: (documentation-property VAR 'variable-documentation) is the proper
1006: way for a Lisp program to get the documentation of variable VAR.
1007:
1008: * New documentation-string expansion feature.
1009:
1010: If a documentation string (for a variable or function) contains text
1011: of the form `\<FOO>', it means that all command names specified in
1012: `\[COMMAND]' construct from that point on should be turned into keys
1013: using the value of the variable FOO as the local keymap. Thus, for example,
1014:
1015: `\<emacs-lisp-mode-map>\[eval-defun] evaluates the defun containing point.'
1016:
1017: will expand into
1018:
1019: "ESC C-x evaluates the defun containing point."
1020:
1021: regardless of the current major mode, because ESC C-x is defined to
1022: run `eval-defun' in the keymap `emacs-lisp-mode-map'. The effect is
1023: to show the key for `eval-defun' in Emacs Lisp mode regardless of the
1024: current major mode.
1025:
1026: The `\<...>' construct applies to all `\[...]' constructs that follow it,
1027: up to the end of the documentation string or the next `\<...>'.
1028:
1029: Without `\<...>', the keys for commands specified in `\[...]' are found
1030: in the current buffer's local map.
1031:
1032: The current global keymap is always searched second, whether `\<...>'
1033: has been used or not.
1034:
1035: * Multiple hooks allowed in certain contexts.
1036:
1037: The old hook variables `find-file-hook', `find-file-not-found-hook' and
1038: `write-file-hook' have been replaced.
1039:
1040: The replacements are `find-file-hooks', `find-file-not-found-hooks'
1041: and `write-file-hooks'. Each holds a list of functions to be called;
1042: by default, `nil', for no functions. The functions are called in
1043: order of appearance in the list.
1044:
1045: In the case of `find-file-hooks', all the functions are executed.
1046:
1047: In the case of `find-file-not-found-hooks', if any of the functions
1048: returns non-`nil', the rest of the functions are not called.
1049:
1050: In the case of `write-file-hooks', if any of the functions returns
1051: non-`nil', the rest of the functions are not called, and the file is
1052: considered to have been written already; so actual writing in the
1053: usual way is not done. If `write-file-hooks' is local to a buffer,
1054: it is set to its global value if `set-visited-file-name' is called
1055: (and thus by C-x C-w as well).
1056:
1057: `find-file-not-found-hooks' and `write-file-hooks' can be used
1058: together to implement editing of files that are not stored as Unix
1059: files: stored in archives, or inside version control systems, or on
1060: other machines running other operating systems and accessible via ftp.
1061:
1062: * New hooks for suspending Emacs.
1063:
1064: Suspending Emacs runs the hook `suspend-hook' before suspending
1065: and the hook `suspend-resume-hook' if the suspended Emacs is resumed.
1066: Running a hook is done by applying the variable's value to no arguments
1067: if the variable has a non-`nil' value. If `suspend-hook' returns
1068: non-`nil', then suspending is inhibited and so is running the
1069: `suspend-resume-hook'. The non-`nil' value means that the `suspend-hook'
1070: has done whatever suspending is required.
1071:
1072: * Disabling commands can print a special message.
1073:
1074: A command is disabled by giving it a non-`nil' `disabled' property.
1075: Now, if this property is a string, it is included in the message
1076: printed when the user tries to run the command.
1077:
1078: * Emacs can open TCP connections.
1079:
1080: The function `open-network-stream' opens a TCP connection to
1081: a specified host and service. Its value is a Lisp object that represents
1082: the connection. The object is a kind of "subprocess", and I/O are
1083: done like I/O to subprocesses.
1084:
1085: * Display-related changes.
1086:
1087: ** New mode-line control features.
1088:
1089: The display of the mode line used to be controlled by a format-string
1090: that was the value of the variable `mode-line-format'.
1091:
1092: This variable still exists, but it now allows more general values,
1093: not just strings. Lists, cons cells and symbols are also meaningful.
1094:
1095: The mode line contents are created by outputting various mode elements
1096: one after the other. Here are the kinds of objects that can be
1097: used as mode elements, and what they do in the display:
1098:
1099: string the contents of the string are output to the mode line,
1100: and %-constructs are replaced by other text.
1101:
1102: t or nil ignored; no output results.
1103:
1104: symbol the symbol's value is used. If the value is a string,
1105: the string is output verbatim to the mode line
1106: (so %-constructs are not interpreted). Otherwise,
1107: the symbol's value is processed as a mode element.
1108:
1109: list (whose first element is a string or list or cons cell)
1110: the elements of the list are treated as as mode elements,
1111: so that the output they generate is concatenated,
1112:
1113: list (whose car is a symbol)
1114: if the symbol's value is non-nil, the second element of the
1115: list is treated as a mode element. Otherwise, the third
1116: element (if any) of the list is treated as a mode element.
1117:
1118: cons (whose car is a positive integer)
1119: the cdr of the cons is used as a mode element, but
1120: the text it produces is padded, if necessary, to have
1121: at least the width specified by the integer.
1122:
1123: cons (whose car is a negative integer)
1124: the cdr of the cons is used as a mode element, but
1125: the text it produces is truncated, if necessary, to have
1126: at most the width specified by the integer.
1127:
1128: There is always one mode element to start with, that being the value of
1129: `mode-line-format', but if this value is a list then it leads to several
1130: more mode elements, which can lead to more, and so on.
1131:
1132: There is one new %-construct for mode elements that are strings:
1133: `%n' displays ` Narrow' for a buffer that is narrowed.
1134:
1135: The default value of `mode-line-format' refers to several other variables.
1136: These variables are `mode-name', `mode-line-buffer-identification',
1137: `mode-line-process', `mode-line-modified', `global-mode-string' and
1138: `minor-mode-alist'. The first four are local in every buffer in which they
1139: are changed from the default.
1140:
1141: mode-name Name of buffer's major mode. Local in every buffer.
1142:
1143: mode-line-buffer-identification
1144: Normally the list ("Emacs: %17b"), it is responsible
1145: for displaying text to indicate what buffer is being shown
1146: and what kind of editing it is doing. `Emacs' means
1147: that a file of characters is being edited. Major modes
1148: such as Info and Dired which edit or view other kinds
1149: of data often change this value. This variables becomes
1150: local to the current buffer if it is setq'd.
1151:
1152: mode-line-process
1153: Normally nil, this variable is responsible for displaying
1154: information about the process running in the current buffer.
1155: M-x shell-mode and M-x compile alter this variable.
1156:
1157: mode-line-modified
1158: This variable is responsible for displaying the indication
1159: of whether the current buffer is modified or read-only.
1160: By default its value is `("--%*%*-")'.
1161:
1162: minor-mode-alist
1163: This variable is responsible for displaying text for those
1164: minor modes that are currently enabled. Its value
1165: is a list of elements of the form (VARIABLE STRING),
1166: where STRING is to be displayed if VARIABLE's value
1167: (in the buffer whose mode line is being displayed)
1168: is non-nil. This variable is not made local to particular
1169: buffers, but loading some libraries may add elements to it.
1170:
1171: global-mode-string
1172: This variable is used to display the time, if you ask
1173: for that.
1174:
1175: The idea of these variables is to eliminate the need for major modes
1176: to alter mode-line-format itself.
1177:
1178: ** `window-point' valid for selected window.
1179:
1180: The value returned by `window-point' used to be incorrect when its
1181: argument was the selected window. Now the value is correct.
1182:
1183: ** Window configurations may be saved as Lisp objects.
1184:
1185: The function `current-window-configuration' returns a special type of
1186: Lisp object that represents the current layout of windows: the
1187: sizes and positions of windows, which buffers appear in them, and
1188: which parts of the buffers appear on the screen.
1189:
1190: The function `set-window-configuration' takes one argument, which must
1191: be a window configuration object, and restores that configuration.
1192:
1193: ** New hook `temp-output-buffer-show-hook'.
1194:
1195: This hook allows you to control how help buffers are displayed.
1196: Whenever `with-output-to-temp-buffer' has executed its body and wants
1197: to display the temp buffer, if this variable is bound and non-`nil'
1198: then its value is called with one argument, the temp buffer.
1199: The hook function is solely responsible for displaying the buffer.
1200: The standard manner of display--making the buffer appear in a window--is
1201: used only if there is no hook function.
1202:
1203: ** New function `minibuffer-window'.
1204:
1205: This function returns the window used (sometimes) for displaying
1206: the minibuffer. It can be used even when the minibuffer is not active.
1207:
1208: ** New feature to `next-window'.
1209:
1210: If the optional second argument is neither `nil' nor `t', the minibuffer
1211: window is omitted from consideration even when active; if the starting
1212: window was the last non-minibuffer window, the value will be the first
1213: non-minibuffer window.
1214:
1215: ** New variable `minibuffer-scroll-window'.
1216:
1217: When this variable is non-`nil', the command `scroll-other-window'
1218: uses it as the window to be scrolled. Displays of completion-lists
1219: set this variable to the window containing the display.
1220:
1221: ** New argument to `sit-for'.
1222:
1223: A non-nil second argument to `sit-for' means do not redisplay;
1224: just wait for the specified time or until input is available.
1225:
1226: ** Deleted function `set-minor-mode'; minor modes must be changed.
1227:
1228: The function `set-minor-mode' has been eliminated. The display
1229: of minor mode names in the mode line is now controlled by the
1230: variable `minor-mode-alist'. To specify display of a new minor
1231: mode, it is sufficient to add an element to this list. Once that
1232: is done, you can turn the mode on and off just by setting a variable,
1233: and the display will show its status automatically.
1234:
1235: ** New variable `cursor-in-echo-area'.
1236:
1237: If this variable is non-nil, the screen cursor appears on the
1238: last line of the screen, at the end of the text displayed there.
1239:
1240: Binding this variable to t is useful at times when reading single
1241: characters of input with `read-char'.
1242:
1243: ** New per-buffer variable `selective-display-ellipses'.
1244:
1245: If this variable is non-nil, an ellipsis (`...') appears on the screen
1246: at the end of each text line that is followed by invisible text.
1247:
1248: If this variable is nil, no ellipses appear. Then there is no sign
1249: on the screen that invisible text is present.
1250:
1251: Text is made invisible under the control of the variable
1252: `selective-display'; this is how Outline mode and C-x $ work.
1253:
1254: ** New variable `no-redraw-on-reenter'.
1255:
1256: If you set this variable non-nil, Emacs will not clear the screen when
1257: you resume it after suspending it. This is for the sake of terminals
1258: with multiple screens of memory, where the termcap entry has been set
1259: up to switch between screens when Emacs is suspended and resumed.
1260:
1261: ** New argument to `set-screen-height' or `set-screen-width'.
1262:
1263: These functions now take an optional second argument which says
1264: what significance the newly specified height or width has.
1265:
1266: If the argument is nil, or absent, it means that Emacs should
1267: believe that the terminal height or width really is as just specified.
1268:
1269: If the argument is t, it means Emacs should not believe that the
1270: terminal really is this high or wide, but it should use the
1271: specific height or width as the number of lines or columns to display.
1272: Thus, you could display only 24 lines on a screen known to have 48 lines.
1273:
1274: What practical difference is there between using only 24 lines for display
1275: and really believing that the terminal has 24 lines?
1276:
1277: 1. The ``real'' height of the terminal says what the terminal command
1278: to move the cursor to the last line will do.
1279:
1280: 2. The ``real'' height of the terminal determines how much padding is
1281: needed.
1282:
1283: * File-related changes.
1284:
1285: ** New parameter `backup-by-copying-when-mismatch'.
1286:
1287: If this variable is non-`nil', then when Emacs is about to save a
1288: file, it will create the backup file by copying if that would avoid
1289: changing the file's uid or gid.
1290:
1291: The default value of this variable is `nil', because usually it is
1292: useful to have the uid of a file change according to who edited it
1293: last. I recommend thet this variable be left normally `nil' and
1294: changed with a local variables list in those particular files where
1295: the uid needs to be preserved.
1296:
1297: ** New parameter `file-precious-flag'.
1298:
1299: If this variable is non-`nil', saving the buffer tries to avoid
1300: leaving an incomplete file due to disk full or other I/O errors.
1301: It renames the old file before saving. If saving is successful,
1302: the renamed file is deleted; if saving gets an error, the renamed
1303: file is renamed back to the name you visited.
1304:
1305: Backups are always made by copying for such files.
1306:
1307: ** New variable `buffer-offer-save'.
1308:
1309: If the value of this variable is non-`nil' in a buffer then exiting
1310: Emacs will offer to save the buffer (if it is modified and nonempty)
1311: even if the buffer is not visiting a file. This variable is
1312: automatically made local to the current buffer whenever it is set.
1313:
1314: ** `rename-file', `copy-file', `add-name-to-file' and `make-symbolic-link'.
1315:
1316: The third argument to these functions used to be `t' or `nil'; `t'
1317: meaning go ahead even if the specified new file name already has a file,
1318: and `nil' meaning to get an error.
1319:
1320: Now if the third argument is a number it means to ask the user for
1321: confirmation in this case.
1322:
1323: ** New optional argument to `copy-file'.
1324:
1325: If `copy-file' receives a non-nil fourth argument, it attempts
1326: to give the new copy the same time-of-last-modification that the
1327: original file has.
1328:
1329: ** New function `file-newer-than-file-p'.
1330:
1331: (file-newer-than-file-p FILE1 FILE2) returns non-nil if FILE1 has been
1332: modified more recently than FILE2. If FILE1 does not exist, the value
1333: is always nil; otherwise, if FILE2 does not exist, the value is t.
1334: This is meant for use when FILE2 depends on FILE1, to see if changes
1335: in FILE1 make it necessary to recompute FILE2 from it.
1336:
1337: ** Changed function `file-exists-p'.
1338:
1339: This function is no longer the same as `file-readable-p'.
1340: `file-exists-p' can now return t for a file that exists but which
1341: the fascists won't allow you to read.
1342:
1343: ** New function `file-locked-p'.
1344:
1345: This function receives a file name as argument and returns `nil'
1346: if the file is not locked, `t' if locked by this Emacs, or a
1347: string giving the name of the user who has locked it.
1348:
1349: ** New function `file-name-sans-versions'.
1350:
1351: (file-name-sans-versions NAME) returns a substring of NAME, with any
1352: version numbers or other backup suffixes deleted from the end.
1353:
1354: ** New functions for directory names.
1355:
1356: Although a directory is really a kind of file, specifying a directory
1357: uses a somewhat different syntax from specifying a file.
1358: In Emacs, a directory name is used as part of a file name.
1359:
1360: On Unix, the difference is small: a directory name ends in a slash,
1361: while a file name does not: thus, `/usr/rms/' to name a directory,
1362: while `/usr/rms' names the file which holds that directory.
1363:
1364: On VMS, the difference is considerable: `du:[rms.foo]' specifies a
1365: directory, but the name of the file that holds that directory is
1366: `du:[rms]foo.dir'.
1367:
1368: There are two new functions for converting between directory names
1369: and file names. `directory-file-name' takes a directory name and
1370: returns the name of the file in which that directory's data is stored.
1371: `file-name-as-directory' takes the name of a file and returns
1372: the corresponding directory name. These always understand Unix file name
1373: syntax; on VMS, they understand VMS syntax as well.
1374:
1375: For example, (file-name-as-directory "/usr/rms") returns "/usr/rms/"
1376: and (directory-file-name "/usr/rms/") returns "/usr/rms".
1377: On VMS, (file-name-as-directory "du:[rms]foo.dir") returns "du:[rms.foo]"
1378: and (directory-file-name "du:[rms.foo]") returns "du:[rms]foo.dir".
1379:
1380: ** Value of `file-attributes' changed.
1381:
1382: The function file-attributes returns a list containing many kinds of
1383: information about a file. Now the list has eleven elements.
1384:
1385: The tenth element is `t' if deleting the file and creating another
1386: file of the same name would result in a change in the file's group;
1387: `nil' if there would be no change. You can also think of this as
1388: comparing the file's group with the default group for files created in
1389: the same directory by you.
1390:
1391: The eleventh element is the inode number of the file.
1392:
1393: ** VMS-only function `file-name-all-versions'.
1394:
1395: This function returns a list of all the completions, including version
1396: number, of a specified version-number-less file name. This is like
1397: `file-name-all-completions', except that the latter returns values
1398: that do not include version numbers.
1399:
1400: ** VMS-only variable `vms-stmlf-recfm'.
1401:
1402: On a VMS system, if this variable is non-nil, Emacs will give newly
1403: created files the record format `stmlf'. This is necessary for files
1404: that must contain lines of arbitrary length, such as compiled Emacs
1405: Lisp.
1406:
1407: When writing a new version of an existing file, Emacs always keeps
1408: the same record format as the previous version; so this variable has
1409: no effect.
1410:
1411: This variable has no effect on Unix systems.
1412:
1413: ** `insert-file-contents' on an empty file.
1414:
1415: This no longer sets the buffer's "modified" flag.
1416:
1417: ** New function (VMS only) `define-logical-name':
1418:
1419: (define-logical-name LOGICAL TRANSLATION) defines a VMS logical name
1420: LOGICAL whose translation is TRANSLATION. The new name applies to
1421: the current process only.
1422:
1423: ** Deleted variable `ask-about-buffer-names'.
1424:
1425: If you want buffer names for files to be generated in a special way,
1426: you must redefine `create-file-buffer'.
1427:
1428: * Subprocess-related changes.
1429:
1430: ** New function `process-list'.
1431:
1432: This function takes no arguments and returns a list of all
1433: of Emacs's asynchronous subprocesses.
1434:
1435: ** New function `process-exit-status'.
1436:
1437: This function, given a process, process name or buffer as argument,
1438: returns the exit status code or signal number of the process.
1439: If the process has not yet exited or died, this function returns 0.
1440:
1441: ** Process output ignores `buffer-read-only'.
1442:
1443: Output from a process will go into the process's buffer even if the
1444: buffer is read only.
1445:
1446: ** Switching buffers in filter functions and sentinels.
1447:
1448: Emacs no longer saves and restore the current buffer around calling
1449: the filter and sentinel functions, so these functions can now
1450: permanently alter the selected buffer in a straightforward manner.
1451:
1452: ** Specifying environment variables for subprocesses.
1453:
1454: When a subprocess is started with `start-process' or `call-process',
1455: the value of the variable `process-environment' is taken to
1456: specify the environment variables to give the subprocess. The
1457: value should be a list of strings, each of the form "VAR=VALUE".
1458:
1459: `process-environment' is initialized when Emacs starts up
1460: based on Emacs's environment.
1461:
1462: ** New variable `process-connection-type'.
1463:
1464: If this variable is `nil', when a subprocess is created, Emacs uses
1465: a pipe rather than a pty to communicate with it. Normally this
1466: variable is `t', telling Emacs to use a pty if ptys are supported
1467: and one is available.
1468:
1469: ** New function `waiting-for-user-input-p'.
1470:
1471: This function, given a subprocess as argument, returns `t' if that
1472: subprocess appears to be waiting for input sent from Emacs,
1473: or `nil' otherwise.
1474:
1475: ** New hook `shell-set-directory-error-hook'.
1476:
1477: The value of this variable is called, with no arguments, whenever
1478: Shell mode gets an error trying to keep track of directory-setting
1479: commands (such as `cd' and `pushd') used in the shell buffer.
1480:
1481: * New functions `user-uid' and `user-real-uid'.
1482:
1483: These functions take no arguments and return, respectively,
1484: the effective uid and the real uid of the Emacs process.
1485: The value in each case is an integer.
1486:
1487: * New variable `print-escape-newlines' controls string printing.
1488:
1489: If this variable is non-`nil', then when a Lisp string is printed
1490: by the Lisp printing function `prin1' or `print', newline characters
1491: are printed as `\n' rather than as a literal newline.
1492:
1493: * New function `sysnetunam' on HPUX.
1494:
1495: This function takes two arguments, a network address PATH and a
1496: login string LOGIN, and executes the system call `netunam'.
1497: It returns `t' if the call succeeds, otherwise `nil'.
1498:
1499: News regarding installation:
1500:
1501: * Many `s-...' file names changed.
1502:
1503: Many `s-...' files have been renamed. All periods in such names,
1504: except the ones just before the final `h', have been changed to
1505: hyphens. Thus, `s-bsd4.2.h' has been renamed to `s-bsd4-2.h'.
1506:
1507: This is so a Unix distribution can be moved mechanically to VMS.
1508:
1509: * `DOCSTR...' file now called `DOC-...'.
1510:
1511: The file of on-line documentation strings, that used to be
1512: `DOCSTR.mm.nn.oo' in this directory, is now called `DOC-mm.nn.oo'.
1513: This is so that it can port to VMS using the standard conventions
1514: for translating filenames for VMS.
1515:
1516: This file also now contains the doc strings for variables as
1517: well as functions.
1518:
1519: * Emacs no longer uses floating point arithmetic.
1520:
1521: This may make it easier to port to some machines.
1522:
1523: * Macros `XPNTR' and `XSETPNTR'; flag `DATA_SEG_BITS'.
1524:
1525: These macros exclusively are used to unpack a pointer from a Lisp_Object
1526: and to insert a pointer into a Lisp_Object. Redefining them may help
1527: port Emacs to machines in which all pointers to data objects have
1528: certain high bits set.
1529:
1530: If `DATA_SEG_BITS' is defined, it should be a number which contains
1531: the high bits to be inclusive or'ed with pointers that are unpacked.
1532:
1533: * New flag `HAVE_X_MENU'.
1534:
1535: Define this flag in `config.h' in addition to `HAVE_X_WINDOWS'
1536: to enable use of the Emacs interface to X Menus. On some operating
1537: systems, the rest of the X interface works properly but X Menus
1538: do not work; hence this separate flag. See the file `src/xmenu.c'
1539: for more information.
1540:
1541: * Macros `ARRAY_MARK_FLAG' and `DONT_COPY_FLAG'.
1542:
1543: * `HAVE_ALLOCA' prevents assembly of `alloca.s'.
1544:
1545: * `SYSTEM_MALLOC' prevents use of GNU `malloc.c'.
1546:
1547: SYSTEM_MALLOC, if defined, means use the system's own `malloc' routines
1548: rather than those that come with Emacs.
1549:
1550: Use this only if absolutely necessary, because if it is used you do
1551: not get warnings when space is getting low.
1552:
1553: * New flags to control unexec.
1554:
1555: See the file `unexec.c' for a long comment on the compilation
1556: switches that suffice to make it work on many machines.
1557:
1558: * `PNTR_COMPARISON_TYPE'
1559:
1560: Pointers that need to be compared for ordering are converted to this type
1561: first. Normally this is `unsigned int'.
1562:
1563: * `HAVE_VFORK', `HAVE_DUP2' and `HAVE_GETTIMEOFDAY'.
1564:
1565: These flags just say whether certain system calls are available.
1566:
1567: * New macros control compiler switches, linker switches and libraries.
1568:
1569: The m- and s- files can now control in a modular fashion the precise
1570: arguments passed to `cc' and `ld'.
1571:
1572: LIBS_STANDARD defines the standard C libraries. Default is `-lc'.
1573: LIBS_DEBUG defines the extra libraries to use when debugging. Default `-lg'.
1574: LIBS_SYSTEM can be defined by the s- file to specify extra libraries.
1575: LIBS_MACHINE can be defined by the m- file to specify extra libraries.
1576: LIBS_TERMCAP defines the libraries for Termcap or Terminfo.
1577: It is defined by default in a complicated fashion but the m- or s- file
1578: can override it.
1579:
1580: LD_SWITCH_SYSTEM can be defined by the s- file to specify extra `ld' switches.
1581: The default is `-X' on BSD systems except those few that use COFF object files.
1582: LD_SWITCH_MACHINE can be defined by the m- file to specify extra `ld' switches.
1583:
1584: C_DEBUG_SWITCH defines the switches to give `cc' when debugging. Default `-g'.
1585: C_OPTIMIZE_SWITCH defines the switches to give `cc' to optimize. Default `-O'.
1586: C_SWITCH_MACHINE can be defined by the m- file to specify extra `cc' switches.
1587:
1588: For older news, see the file ONEWS.
1589:
1590: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
1591: Copyright information:
1592:
1593: Copyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
1594:
1595: Permission is granted to anyone to make or distribute verbatim copies
1596: of this document as received, in any medium, provided that the
1597: copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved,
1598: thus giving the recipient permission to redistribute in turn.
1599:
1600: Permission is granted to distribute modified versions
1601: of this document, or of portions of it,
1602: under the above conditions, provided also that they
1603: carry prominent notices stating who last changed them.
1604:
1605: Local variables:
1606: mode: text
1607: end:

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