@table @kbd
@item M-/
Expand the word in the buffer before point as a @dfn{dynamic abbrev},
-by searching in the buffer for words starting with that abbreviation
+by searching for words starting with that abbreviation
(@code{dabbrev-expand}).
@item C-M-/
away in the buffer to search for an expansion.
@vindex dabbrev-check-all-buffers
+@vindex dabbrev-check-other-buffers
After scanning the current buffer, @kbd{M-/} normally searches other
-buffers, unless you have set @code{dabbrev-check-all-buffers} to
-@code{nil}.
+buffers. The variables @code{dabbrev-check-all-buffers} and
+@code{dabbrev-check-other-buffers} can be used to determine which
+other buffers, if any, are searched.
+@vindex dabbrev-ignored-buffer-names
@vindex dabbrev-ignored-buffer-regexps
- For finer control over which buffers to scan, customize the variable
-@code{dabbrev-ignored-buffer-regexps}. Its value is a list of regular
-expressions. If a buffer's name matches any of these regular
+ For finer control over which buffers to scan, customize the
+variables @code{dabbrev-ignored-buffer-names} and
+@code{dabbrev-ignored-buffer-regexps}. The value of the former is a
+list of buffer names to skip. The value of the latter is a list of
+regular expressions; if a buffer's name matches any of these regular
expressions, dynamic abbrev expansion skips that buffer.
A negative argument to @kbd{M-/}, as in @kbd{C-u - M-/}, says to
If no suitable preceding word is found, words following point are
considered. If still no suitable word is found, then look in the
buffers accepted by the function pointed out by variable
-`dabbrev-friend-buffer-function'.
+`dabbrev-friend-buffer-function', if `dabbrev-check-other-buffers'
+says so. Then, if `dabbrev-check-all-buffers' is non-nil, look in
+all the other buffers, subject to constraints specified
+by `dabbrev-ignored-buffer-names' and `dabbrev-ignored-regexps'.
A positive prefix argument, N, says to take the Nth backward *distinct*
possibility. A negative argument says search forward.