+2006-12-11 Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
+
+ * modes.texi (Font Lock Basics): Explain how nil for font-lock-defaults
+ affects face menu. Explain how to make it non-nil without enabling
+ any fontification.
+
2006-12-10 Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
* modes.texi (Font Lock Basics): Document nil value of
@defvar font-lock-defaults
This variable is set by major modes, as a buffer-local variable, to
specify how to fontify text in that mode. It automatically becomes
-buffer-local when you set it. If its value is @code{nil}, no
-highlighting is performed. If non-@code{nil}, the value should look
-like this:
+buffer-local when you set it. If its value is @code{nil}, Font-Lock
+mode does no highlighting, and you can use the @samp{Faces} menu
+(under @samp{Edit} and then @samp{Text Properties} in the menu bar) to
+assign faces explicitly to text in the buffer.
+
+If non-@code{nil}, the value should look like this:
@example
(@var{keywords} [@var{keywords-only} [@var{case-fold}
elements. @xref{Other Font Lock Variables}.
@end defvar
+ If your mode fontifies text explicitly by adding
+@code{font-lock-face} properties, it can specify @code{(nil t)} for
+@code{font-lock-defaults} to turn off all automatic fontification.
+However, this is not required; it is possible to fontify some things
+using @code{font-lock-face} properties and set up automatic
+fontification for other parts of the text.
+
@node Search-based Fontification
@subsection Search-based Fontification