\f
-Changes in version 18.52.
+* Changes in Emacs 18.52.
-* X windows version 10 is supported under system V.
+** X windows version 10 is supported under system V.
-* Pop-up menus are now supported with the same Lisp interface in
+** Pop-up menus are now supported with the same Lisp interface in
both version 10 and 11 of X windows.
-* C-x 4 a is a new command to edit a change-log entry in another window.
+** C-x 4 a is a new command to edit a change-log entry in another window.
-* The emacs client program now allows an option +NNN to specify the
+** The emacs client program now allows an option +NNN to specify the
line number to go to in the file whose name follows. Thus,
emacsclient foo.c +45 bar.c
will find the files `foo.c' and `bar.c', going to line 45 in `bar.c'.
-* Dired allows empty directories to be deleted like files.
+** Dired allows empty directories to be deleted like files.
-* When the terminal type is used to find a terminal-specific file to
+** When the terminal type is used to find a terminal-specific file to
run, Emacs now tries the entire terminal type first. If that doesn't
yield a file that exists, the last hyphen and what follows it is
stripped. If that doesn't yield a file that exists, the previous
Underscores now receive the same treatment as hyphens.
-* Texinfo features: @defun, etc. texinfo-show-structure.
+** Texinfo features: @defun, etc. texinfo-show-structure.
New template commands. texinfo-format-region.
-* The special "local variable" `eval' is now ignored if you are running
+** The special "local variable" `eval' is now ignored if you are running
as root.
-* New command `c-macro-expand' shows the result of C macro expansion
+** New command `c-macro-expand' shows the result of C macro expansion
in the region. It works using the C preprocessor, so its results
are completely accurate.
-* Errors in trying to auto save now flash error messages for a few seconds.
+** Errors in trying to auto save now flash error messages for a few seconds.
-* Killing a buffer now sends SIGHUP to the buffer's process.
+** Killing a buffer now sends SIGHUP to the buffer's process.
-* New hooks.
+** New hooks.
-** `spell-region' now allows you to filter the text before spelling-checking.
+*** `spell-region' now allows you to filter the text before spelling-checking.
If the value of `spell-filter' is non-nil, it is called, with no arguments,
looking at a temporary buffer containing a copy of the text to be checked.
It can alter the text freely before the spell program sees it.
-** The variable `lpr-command' now specifies the command to be used when
+*** The variable `lpr-command' now specifies the command to be used when
you use the commands to print text (such as M-x print-buffer).
-** Posting netnews now calls the value of `news-inews-hook' (if not nil)
+*** Posting netnews now calls the value of `news-inews-hook' (if not nil)
as a function of no arguments before the actual posting.
-** Rmail now calls the value of `rmail-show-message-hook' (if not nil)
+*** Rmail now calls the value of `rmail-show-message-hook' (if not nil)
as a function of no arguments, each time a new message is selected.
-** `kill-emacs' calls the value of `kill-emacs-hook' as a function of no args.
+*** `kill-emacs' calls the value of `kill-emacs-hook' as a function of no args.
-* New libraries.
+** New libraries.
See the source code of each library for more information.
-** icon.el: a major mode for editing programs written in Icon.
+*** icon.el: a major mode for editing programs written in Icon.
-** life.el: a simulator for the cellular automaton "life". Load the
+*** life.el: a simulator for the cellular automaton "life". Load the
library and run M-x life.
-** doctex.el: a library for converting the Emacs `etc/DOC' file of
+*** doctex.el: a library for converting the Emacs `etc/DOC' file of
documentation strings into TeX input.
-** saveconf.el: a library which records the arrangement of windows and
+*** saveconf.el: a library which records the arrangement of windows and
buffers when you exit Emacs, and automatically recreates the same
setup the next time you start Emacs.
-** uncompress.el: a library that automatically uncompresses files
+*** uncompress.el: a library that automatically uncompresses files
when you visit them.
-** c-fill.el: a mode for editing filled comments in C.
+*** c-fill.el: a mode for editing filled comments in C.
-** kermit.el: an extended version of shell-mode designed for running kermit.
+*** kermit.el: an extended version of shell-mode designed for running kermit.
-** spook.el: a library for adding some "distract the NSA" keywords to every
+*** spook.el: a library for adding some "distract the NSA" keywords to every
message you send.
-** hideif.el: a library for hiding parts of a C program based on preprocessor
+*** hideif.el: a library for hiding parts of a C program based on preprocessor
conditionals.
-** autoinsert.el: a library to put in some initial text when you visit
+*** autoinsert.el: a library to put in some initial text when you visit
a nonexistent file. The text used depends on the major mode, and
comes from a directory of files created by you.
-* New programming features.
+** New programming features.
-** The variable `window-system-version' now contains the version number
+*** The variable `window-system-version' now contains the version number
of the window system you are using (if appropriate). When using X windows,
its value is either 10 or 11.
-** (interactive "N") uses the prefix argument if any; otherwise, it reads
+*** (interactive "N") uses the prefix argument if any; otherwise, it reads
a number using the minibuffer.
-** VMS: there are two new functions `vms-system-info' and `shrink-to-icon'.
+*** VMS: there are two new functions `vms-system-info' and `shrink-to-icon'.
The former allows you to get many kinds of system status information.
See its self-documentation for full details.
The second is used with the window system: it iconifies the Emacs window.
-** VMS: the new function `define-logical-name' allows you to create
+*** VMS: the new function `define-logical-name' allows you to create
job-wide logical names. The old function `define-dcl-symbol' has been
removed.
\f
-Changes in version 18.50.
+* Changes in Emacs 18.50.
-* X windows version 11 is supported.
+** X windows version 11 is supported.
Define X11 in config.h if you want X version 11 instead of version 10.
-* The command M-x gdb runs the GDB debugger as an inferior.
+** The command M-x gdb runs the GDB debugger as an inferior.
It asks for the filename of the executable you want to debug.
GDB runs as an inferior with I/O through an Emacs buffer. All the
In any source file, the commands C-x SPC tells GDB to set a breakpoint
on the current line.
-* M-x calendar displays a three-month calendar.
+** M-x calendar displays a three-month calendar.
-* C-u 0 C-x C-s never makes a backup file.
+** C-u 0 C-x C-s never makes a backup file.
This is a way you can explicitly request not to make a backup.
-* `term-setup-hook' is for users only.
+** `term-setup-hook' is for users only.
Emacs never uses this variable for internal purposes, so you can freely
set it in your `.emacs' file to make Emacs do something special after
loading any terminal-specific setup file from `lisp/term'.
-* `copy-keymap' now copies recursive submaps.
+** `copy-keymap' now copies recursive submaps.
-* New overlay-arrow feature.
+** New overlay-arrow feature.
If you set the variable `overlay-arrow-string' to a string
and `overlay-arrow-position' to a marker, that string is displayed on
have appeared there. If that position isn't on the screen, or if
the buffer the marker points into isn't displayed, there is no effect.
-* -batch mode can read from the terminal.
+** -batch mode can read from the terminal.
It now works to use `read-char' to do terminal input in a noninteractive
Emacs run. End of file causes Emacs to exit.
-* Variables `data-bytes-used' and `data-bytes-free' removed.
+** Variables `data-bytes-used' and `data-bytes-free' removed.
These variables cannot really work because the 24-bit range of an
integer in (most ports of) GNU Emacs is not large enough to hold their
\f
-Changes in version 18.45, since version 18.41.
+* Changes in Emacs 18.45, since version 18.41.
-* C indentation parameter `c-continued-brace-offset'.
+** C indentation parameter `c-continued-brace-offset'.
This parameter's value is added to the indentation of any
line that is in a continuation context and starts with an open-brace.
The default value is zero.
-* Dabbrev expansion (Meta-/) preserves case.
+** Dabbrev expansion (Meta-/) preserves case.
When you use Meta-/ to search the buffer for an expansion of an
abbreviation, if the expansion found is all lower case except perhaps
for its first letter, then the case pattern of the abbreviation
is carried over to the expansion that replaces it.
-* TeX-mode syntax.
+** TeX-mode syntax.
\ is no longer given "escape character" syntax in TeX mode. It now
has the syntax of an ordinary punctuation character. As a result,
\[...\] and such like are considered to balance each other.
-* Mail-mode automatic Reply-To field.
+** Mail-mode automatic Reply-To field.
If the variable `mail-default-reply-to' is non-`nil', then each time
you start to compose a message, a Reply-To field is inserted with
its contents taken from the value of `mail-default-reply-to'.
-* Where is your .emacs file?
+** Where is your .emacs file?
If you run Emacs under `su', so your real and effective uids are
different, Emacs uses the home directory associated with the real uid
The .emacs file is not loaded at all if -batch is specified.
-* Prolog mode is the default for ".pl" files.
+** Prolog mode is the default for ".pl" files.
-* File names are not case-sensitive on VMS.
+** File names are not case-sensitive on VMS.
On VMS systems, all file names that you specify are converted to upper
case. You can use either upper or lower case indiscriminately.
-* VMS-only function 'define-dcl-symbol'.
+** VMS-only function 'define-dcl-symbol'.
This is a new name for the function formerly called
`define-logical-name'.
\f
-Editing Changes in Emacs 18
+* Editing Changes in Emacs 18
-* Additional systems and machines are supported.
+** Additional systems and machines are supported.
GNU Emacs now runs on Vax VMS. However, many facilities that are normally
implemented by running subprocesses do not work yet. This includes listing
MACHINES for full status information and machine-specific installation
advice.
-* Searching is faster.
+** Searching is faster.
Forward search for a text string, or for a regexp that is equivalent
to a text string, is now several times faster. Motion by lines and
counting lines is also faster.
-* Memory usage improvements.
+** Memory usage improvements.
It is no longer possible to run out of memory during garbage
collection. As a result, running out of memory is never fatal. This
change is a reduction in total memory usage and a slight increase in
garbage collection speed.
-* Display changes.
+** Display changes.
-** Editing above top of screen.
+*** Editing above top of screen.
When you delete or kill or alter text that reaches to the top of the
screen or above it, so that display would start in the middle of a
line, Emacs will usually attempt to scroll the text so that display
starts at the beginning of a line again.
-** Yanking in the minibuffer.
+*** Yanking in the minibuffer.
The message "Mark Set" is no longer printed when the minibuffer is
active. This is convenient with many commands, including C-y, that
normally print such a message.
-** Cursor appears in last line during y-or-n questions.
+*** Cursor appears in last line during y-or-n questions.
Questions that want a `y' or `n' answer now move the cursor
to the last line, following the question.
-* Library loading changes.
+** Library loading changes.
`load' now considers all possible suffixes (`.elc', `.el' and none)
for each directory in `load-path' before going on to the next directory.
`M-x load-file' reads a file name with completion and defaulting
and then loads exactly that file, with no searching and no suffixes.
-* Emulation of other editors.
+** Emulation of other editors.
-** `edt-emulation-on' starts emulating DEC's EDT editor.
+*** `edt-emulation-on' starts emulating DEC's EDT editor.
Do `edt-emulation-off' to return Emacs to normal.
-** `vi-mode' and `vip-mode' starts emulating vi.
+*** `vi-mode' and `vip-mode' starts emulating vi.
These are two different vi emulations provided by GNU Emacs users.
We are interested in feedback as to which emulation is preferable.
See the documentation and source code for these functions
for more information.
-** `set-gosmacs-bindings' emulates Gosling Emacs.
+*** `set-gosmacs-bindings' emulates Gosling Emacs.
This command changes many global bindings to resemble those of
Gosling Emacs. The previous bindings are saved and can be restored using
`set-gnu-bindings'.
-* Emulation of a display terminal.
+** Emulation of a display terminal.
Within Emacs it is now possible to run programs (such as emacs or
supdup) which expect to do output to a visual display terminal.
See the function `terminal-emulator' for more information.
-* New support for keypads and function keys.
+** New support for keypads and function keys.
There is now a first attempt at terminal-independent support for
keypad and function keys.
terminal type `aaa-48', the file loaded is now `term/aaa.el' rather
than `term/aaa-48.el'.
-* New startup command line options.
+** New startup command line options.
`-i FILE' or `-insert FILE' in the command line to Emacs tells Emacs to
insert the contents of FILE into the current buffer at that point in
the terminal emulator instead of working directly with the window system,
use this switch.
-* Buffer-sorting commands.
+** Buffer-sorting commands.
Various M-x commands whose names start with `sort-' sort parts of
the region:
Refer to the self-documentation of these commands for full usage information.
-* Changes in various commands.
+** Changes in various commands.
-** `tags-query-replace' and `tags-search' change.
+*** `tags-query-replace' and `tags-search' change.
These functions now display the name of the file being searched at the moment.
-** `occur' output now serves as a menu. `occur-menu' command deleted.
+*** `occur' output now serves as a menu. `occur-menu' command deleted.
`M-x occur' now allows you to move quickly to any of the occurrences
listed. Select the `*Occur*' buffer that contains the output of `occur',
One way to get a list of matching lines without line numbers is to
copy the text to another buffer and use the command `keep-lines'.
-** Incremental search changes.
+*** Incremental search changes.
Ordinary and regexp incremental searches now have distinct default
search strings. Thus, regexp searches recall only previous regexp
is put at the top of the screen, and the absolute value or the
negative number specifies the height of it.
-** Undo changes
+*** Undo changes
The undo command now will mark the buffer as unmodified only when it is
identical to the contents of the visited file.
-** C-M-v in minibuffer.
+*** C-M-v in minibuffer.
If while in the minibuffer you request help in a way that uses a
window to display something, then until you exit the minibuffer C-M-v
For example, if you request a list of possible completions, C-M-v can
be used reliably to scroll the completion list.
-** M-TAB command.
+*** M-TAB command.
Meta-TAB performs completion on the Emacs Lisp symbol names. The sexp
in the buffer before point is compared against all existing nontrivial
If there are multiple possibilities for the very next character, a
list of possible completions is displayed.
-** Dynamic abbreviation package.
+*** Dynamic abbreviation package.
The new command Meta-/ expands an abbreviation in the buffer before point
by searching the buffer for words that start with the abbreviation.
-** Changes in saving kbd macros.
+*** Changes in saving kbd macros.
The commands `write-kbd-macro' and `append-kbd-macro' have been
deleted. The way to save a keyboard macro is to use the new command
definition (perhaps deleting an old definition for the same macro)
and then save the file.
-** C-x ' command.
+*** C-x ' command.
The new command C-x ' (expand-abbrev) expands the word before point as
an abbrev, even if abbrev-mode is not turned on.
-** Sending to inferior Lisp.
+*** Sending to inferior Lisp.
The command C-M-x in Lisp mode, which sends the current defun to
an inferior Lisp process, now works by writing the text into a temporary
Two variables `inferior-lisp-load-command' and `inferior-lisp-prompt',
exist to customize these feature for different Lisp implementations.
-** C-x p now disabled.
+*** C-x p now disabled.
The command C-x p, a nonrecommended command which narrows to the current
page, is now initially disabled like C-x n.
-* Dealing with files.
+** Dealing with files.
-** C-x C-v generalized
+*** C-x C-v generalized
This command is now allowed even if the current buffer is not visiting
a file. As usual, it kills the current buffer and replaces it with a
newly found file.
-** M-x recover-file improved; auto save file names changed.
+*** M-x recover-file improved; auto save file names changed.
M-x recover-file now checks whether the last auto-save file is more
recent than the real visited file before offering to read in the
the two functions `make-auto-save-file-name' and `auto-save-file-name-p',
both of which are defined in `files.el'.
-** Modifying a buffer whose file is changed on disk is detected instantly.
+*** Modifying a buffer whose file is changed on disk is detected instantly.
On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or saved.
If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change the buffer.
-** Exiting Emacs offers to save `*mail*'.
+*** Exiting Emacs offers to save `*mail*'.
Emacs can now know about buffers that it should offer to save on exit
even though they are not visiting files. This is done for any buffer
which has a non-nil local value of `buffer-offer-save'. By default,
Mail mode provides such a local value.
-** Backup file changes.
+*** Backup file changes.
If a backup file cannot be written in the directory of the visited file
due to fascist file protection, a backup file is now written in your home
When backup files are made by copying, the last-modification time of the
original file is now preserved in the backup copy.
-** Visiting remote files.
+*** Visiting remote files.
On an internet host, you can now visit and save files on any other
internet host directly from Emacs with the commands M-x ftp-find-file
each time you ask to use it, but previously specified user names and
passwords are remembered automatically.
-** Dired `g' command.
+*** Dired `g' command.
`g' in Dired mode is equivalent to M-x revert-buffer; it causes the
current contents of the same directory to be read in.
-* Changes in major modes.
+** Changes in major modes.
-** C mode indentation change.
+*** C mode indentation change.
The binding of Linefeed is no longer changed by C mode. It once again
has its normal meaning, which is to insert a newline and then indent
prefix argument will force reindentation of the line (as well as
of the compound statement that begins after point, if any).
-** Fortran mode now exists.
+*** Fortran mode now exists.
This mode provides commands for motion and indentation of Fortran code,
plus built-in abbrevs for Fortran keywords. For details, see the manual
or the on-line documentation of the command `fortran-mode'.
-** Scribe mode now exists.
+*** Scribe mode now exists.
This mode does something useful for editing files of Scribe input.
It is used automatically for files with names ending in ".mss".
-** Modula2 and Prolog modes now exist.
+*** Modula2 and Prolog modes now exist.
These modes are for editing programs in the languages of the same names.
They can be selected with M-x modula-2-mode and M-x prolog-mode.
-** Telnet mode changes.
+*** Telnet mode changes.
The telnet mode special commands have now been assigned to C-c keys.
Most of them are the same as in Shell mode.
-** Picture mode changes.
+*** Picture mode changes.
The special picture-mode commands to specify the direction of cursor
motion after insertion have been moved to C-c keys. The commands to
The keys to specify horizontal or vertical motion are now
C-c < (left), C-c > (right), C-c ^ (up) and C-c . (down).
-** Nroff mode comments.
+*** Nroff mode comments.
Comments are now supported in Nroff mode. The standard comment commands
such as M-; and C-x ; know how to insert, align and delete comments
that start with backslash-doublequote.
-** LaTeX mode.
+*** LaTeX mode.
LaTeX mode now exists. Use M-x latex-mode to select this mode, and
M-x plain-tex-mode to select the previously existing mode for Plain
this inserts an \end{...} on the following line
and puts point on a blank line between them.
-** Outline mode changes.
+*** Outline mode changes.
Invisible lines in outline mode are now indicated by `...' at the
end of the previous visible line.
A line starting with a ^L (formfeed) is now by default considered
a header line.
-* Mail reading and sending.
+** Mail reading and sending.
-** MH-E changes.
+*** MH-E changes.
MH-E has been extensively modified and improved since the v17 release.
It contains many new features, including commands to: extracted failed
made to run faster. Furthermore, its keybindings have been changed to
be compatible with Rmail and the rest of GNU Emacs.
-** Mail mode changes.
+*** Mail mode changes.
The C-c commands of mail mode have been rearranged:
Thus, C-c LETTER is always unassigned.
-** Rmail C-r command changed to w.
+*** Rmail C-r command changed to w.
The Rmail command to edit the current message is now `w'. This change
has been made because people frequently type C-r while in Rmail hoping
to do a reverse incremental search. That now works.
-* Rnews changes.
+** Rnews changes.
-** Caesar rotation added.
+*** Caesar rotation added.
The function news-caesar-buffer-body performs encryption and
decryption of the body of a news message. It defaults to the USENET
standard of 13, and accepts any numeric arg between 1 to 25 and -25 to -1.
The function is bound to C-c C-r in both news-mode and news-reply-mode.
-** rmail-output command added.
+*** rmail-output command added.
The C-o command has been bound to rmail-output in news-mode.
This allows one to append an article to a file which is in either Unix
mail or RMAIL format.
-** news-reply-mode changes.
+*** news-reply-mode changes.
The C-c commands of news reply mode have been rearranged and changed,
so that C-c LETTER is always unassigned:
C-c C-q mail-fill-yanked-message (fill what was yanked).
C-c C-r caesar rotate all letters by 13 places in the article's body (rot13).
-* Existing Emacs usable as a server.
+** Existing Emacs usable as a server.
Programs such as mailers that invoke "the editor" as an inferior
to edit some text can now be told to use an existing Emacs process
sockets mechanism for their communication.
\f
-Changes in Lisp programming in Emacs version 18.
+* Changes in Lisp programming in Emacs 18.
-* Init file changes.
+** Init file changes.
-** Suffixes no longer accepted on `.emacs'.
+*** Suffixes no longer accepted on `.emacs'.
Emacs will no longer load a file named `.emacs.el' or `emacs.elc'
in place of `.emacs'. This is so that it will take less time to
name and make `.emacs' a link to the `.elc' file, or make it contain
a call to `load' to load the `.elc' file.
-** `default-profile' renamed to `default', and loaded after `.emacs'.
+*** `default-profile' renamed to `default', and loaded after `.emacs'.
It used to be the case that the file `default-profile' was loaded if
and only if `.emacs' was not found.
since that will be loaded before the runnable Emacs is dumped. By using
a `site-init' library, you avoid taking up time each time Emacs is started.
-** inhibit-command-line has been eliminated.
+*** inhibit-command-line has been eliminated.
This variable used to exist for .emacs files to set. It has been
eliminated because you can get the same effect by setting
command-line-args to nil and setting inhibit-startup-message to t.
-* `apply' is more general.
+** `apply' is more general.
`apply' now accepts any number of arguments. The first one is a function;
the rest are individual arguments to pass to that function, except for the
Previously, `apply' required exactly two arguments. Its old behavior
follows as a special case of the new definition.
-* New code-letter for `interactive'.
+** New code-letter for `interactive'.
(interactive "NFoo: ") is like (interactive "nFoo: ") in reading
a number using the minibuffer to serve as the argument; however,
This is used by the `goto-line' and `goto-char' commands.
-* Semantics of variables.
+** Semantics of variables.
-** Built-in per-buffer variables improved.
+*** Built-in per-buffer variables improved.
Several built-in variables which in the past had a different value in
each buffer now behave exactly as if `make-variable-buffer-local' had
quite the same behavior as before, but it should enable old init files
to continue to work.
-** New per-buffer variables.
+*** New per-buffer variables.
The variables `fill-prefix', `comment-column' and `indent-tabs-mode'
are now per-buffer. They work just like `fill-column', etc.
-** New function `setq-default'.
+*** New function `setq-default'.
`setq-default' sets the default value of a variable, and uses the
same syntax that `setq' accepts: the variable name is not evaluated
`(setq-default case-fold-search nil)' would make searches case-sensitive
in all buffers that do not have local values for `case-fold-search'.
-** Functions `global-set' and `global-value' deleted.
+*** Functions `global-set' and `global-value' deleted.
These functions were never used except by mistake by users expecting
the functionality of `set-default' and `default-value'.
-* Changes in defaulting of major modes.
+** Changes in defaulting of major modes.
When `default-major-mode' is `nil', new buffers are supposed to
get their major mode from the buffer that is current. However,
If the current buffer's mode has such a property, Fundamental mode is
used as the default for newly created buffers.
-* `where-is-internal' requires additional arguments.
+** `where-is-internal' requires additional arguments.
This function now accepts three arguments, two of them required:
DEFINITION, the definition to search for; LOCAL-KEYMAP, the keymap
second argument (it means there is no local keymap), so it cannot also
serve as a default meaning to use the current local keymap.
-* Abbrevs with hooks.
+** Abbrevs with hooks.
When an abbrev defined with a hook is expanded, it now performs the
usual replacement of the abbrev with the expansion before running the
hook. Previously the abbrev itself was deleted but the expansion was
not inserted.
-* Function `scan-buffer' deleted.
+** Function `scan-buffer' deleted.
Use `search-forward' or `search-backward' in place of `scan-buffer'.
You will have to rearrange the arguments.
-* X window interface improvements.
+** X window interface improvements.
-** Detect release of mouse buttons.
+*** Detect release of mouse buttons.
Button-up events can now be detected. See the file `lisp/x-mouse.el'
for details.
-** New pop-up menu facility.
+*** New pop-up menu facility.
The new function `x-popup-menu' pops up a menu (in a X window)
and returns an indication of which selection the user made.
For more information, see its self-documentation.
-* M-x disassemble.
+** M-x disassemble.
This command prints the disassembly of a byte-compiled Emacs Lisp function.
Would anyone like to interface this to the debugger?
-* `insert-buffer-substring' can insert part of the current buffer.
+** `insert-buffer-substring' can insert part of the current buffer.
The old restriction that the text being inserted had to come from
a different buffer is now lifted.
When inserting text from the current buffer, the text to be inserted
is determined from the specified bounds before any copying takes place.
-* New function `substitute-key-definition'.
+** New function `substitute-key-definition'.
This is a new way to replace one command with another command as the
binding of whatever keys may happen to refer to it.
for keys defined to run OLDDEF, and rebinds those keys to run NEWDEF
instead.
-* New function `insert-char'.
+** New function `insert-char'.
Insert a specified character, a specified number of times.
-* `mark-marker' changed.
+** `mark-marker' changed.
When there is no mark, this now returns a marker that points
nowhere, rather than `nil'.
-* `ding' accepts argument.
+** `ding' accepts argument.
When given an argument, the function `ding' does not terminate
execution of a keyboard macro. Normally, `ding' does terminate
all macros that are currently executing.
-* New function `minibuffer-depth'.
+** New function `minibuffer-depth'.
This function returns the current depth in minibuffer activations.
The value is zero when the minibuffer is not in use.
Values greater than one are possible if the user has entered the
minibuffer recursively.
-* New function `documentation-property'.
+** New function `documentation-property'.
(documentation-property SYMBOL PROPNAME) is like (get SYMBOL PROPNAME),
except that if the property value is a number `documentation-property'
(documentation-property VAR 'variable-documentation) is the proper
way for a Lisp program to get the documentation of variable VAR.
-* New documentation-string expansion feature.
+** New documentation-string expansion feature.
If a documentation string (for a variable or function) contains text
of the form `\<FOO>', it means that all command names specified in
The current global keymap is always searched second, whether `\<...>'
has been used or not.
-* Multiple hooks allowed in certain contexts.
+** Multiple hooks allowed in certain contexts.
The old hook variables `find-file-hook', `find-file-not-found-hook' and
`write-file-hook' have been replaced.
files: stored in archives, or inside version control systems, or on
other machines running other operating systems and accessible via ftp.
-* New hooks for suspending Emacs.
+** New hooks for suspending Emacs.
Suspending Emacs runs the hook `suspend-hook' before suspending
and the hook `suspend-resume-hook' if the suspended Emacs is resumed.
`suspend-resume-hook'. The non-`nil' value means that the `suspend-hook'
has done whatever suspending is required.
-* Disabling commands can print a special message.
+** Disabling commands can print a special message.
A command is disabled by giving it a non-`nil' `disabled' property.
Now, if this property is a string, it is included in the message
printed when the user tries to run the command.
-* Emacs can open TCP connections.
+** Emacs can open TCP connections.
The function `open-network-stream' opens a TCP connection to
a specified host and service. Its value is a Lisp object that represents
the connection. The object is a kind of "subprocess", and I/O are
done like I/O to subprocesses.
-* Display-related changes.
+** Display-related changes.
-** New mode-line control features.
+*** New mode-line control features.
The display of the mode line used to be controlled by a format-string
that was the value of the variable `mode-line-format'.
The idea of these variables is to eliminate the need for major modes
to alter mode-line-format itself.
-** `window-point' valid for selected window.
+*** `window-point' valid for selected window.
The value returned by `window-point' used to be incorrect when its
argument was the selected window. Now the value is correct.
-** Window configurations may be saved as Lisp objects.
+*** Window configurations may be saved as Lisp objects.
The function `current-window-configuration' returns a special type of
Lisp object that represents the current layout of windows: the
The function `set-window-configuration' takes one argument, which must
be a window configuration object, and restores that configuration.
-** New hook `temp-output-buffer-show-hook'.
+*** New hook `temp-output-buffer-show-hook'.
This hook allows you to control how help buffers are displayed.
Whenever `with-output-to-temp-buffer' has executed its body and wants
The standard manner of display--making the buffer appear in a window--is
used only if there is no hook function.
-** New function `minibuffer-window'.
+*** New function `minibuffer-window'.
This function returns the window used (sometimes) for displaying
the minibuffer. It can be used even when the minibuffer is not active.
-** New feature to `next-window'.
+*** New feature to `next-window'.
If the optional second argument is neither `nil' nor `t', the minibuffer
window is omitted from consideration even when active; if the starting
window was the last non-minibuffer window, the value will be the first
non-minibuffer window.
-** New variable `minibuffer-scroll-window'.
+*** New variable `minibuffer-scroll-window'.
When this variable is non-`nil', the command `scroll-other-window'
uses it as the window to be scrolled. Displays of completion-lists
set this variable to the window containing the display.
-** New argument to `sit-for'.
+*** New argument to `sit-for'.
A non-nil second argument to `sit-for' means do not redisplay;
just wait for the specified time or until input is available.
-** Deleted function `set-minor-mode'; minor modes must be changed.
+*** Deleted function `set-minor-mode'; minor modes must be changed.
The function `set-minor-mode' has been eliminated. The display
of minor mode names in the mode line is now controlled by the
is done, you can turn the mode on and off just by setting a variable,
and the display will show its status automatically.
-** New variable `cursor-in-echo-area'.
+*** New variable `cursor-in-echo-area'.
If this variable is non-nil, the screen cursor appears on the
last line of the screen, at the end of the text displayed there.
Binding this variable to t is useful at times when reading single
characters of input with `read-char'.
-** New per-buffer variable `selective-display-ellipses'.
+*** New per-buffer variable `selective-display-ellipses'.
If this variable is non-nil, an ellipsis (`...') appears on the screen
at the end of each text line that is followed by invisible text.
Text is made invisible under the control of the variable
`selective-display'; this is how Outline mode and C-x $ work.
-** New variable `no-redraw-on-reenter'.
+*** New variable `no-redraw-on-reenter'.
If you set this variable non-nil, Emacs will not clear the screen when
you resume it after suspending it. This is for the sake of terminals
with multiple screens of memory, where the termcap entry has been set
up to switch between screens when Emacs is suspended and resumed.
-** New argument to `set-screen-height' or `set-screen-width'.
+*** New argument to `set-screen-height' or `set-screen-width'.
These functions now take an optional second argument which says
what significance the newly specified height or width has.
2. The ``real'' height of the terminal determines how much padding is
needed.
-* File-related changes.
+** File-related changes.
-** New parameter `backup-by-copying-when-mismatch'.
+*** New parameter `backup-by-copying-when-mismatch'.
If this variable is non-`nil', then when Emacs is about to save a
file, it will create the backup file by copying if that would avoid
changed with a local variables list in those particular files where
the uid needs to be preserved.
-** New parameter `file-precious-flag'.
+*** New parameter `file-precious-flag'.
If this variable is non-`nil', saving the buffer tries to avoid
leaving an incomplete file due to disk full or other I/O errors.
Backups are always made by copying for such files.
-** New variable `buffer-offer-save'.
+*** New variable `buffer-offer-save'.
If the value of this variable is non-`nil' in a buffer then exiting
Emacs will offer to save the buffer (if it is modified and nonempty)
even if the buffer is not visiting a file. This variable is
automatically made local to the current buffer whenever it is set.
-** `rename-file', `copy-file', `add-name-to-file' and `make-symbolic-link'.
+*** `rename-file', `copy-file', `add-name-to-file' and `make-symbolic-link'.
The third argument to these functions used to be `t' or `nil'; `t'
meaning go ahead even if the specified new file name already has a file,
Now if the third argument is a number it means to ask the user for
confirmation in this case.
-** New optional argument to `copy-file'.
+*** New optional argument to `copy-file'.
If `copy-file' receives a non-nil fourth argument, it attempts
to give the new copy the same time-of-last-modification that the
original file has.
-** New function `file-newer-than-file-p'.
+*** New function `file-newer-than-file-p'.
(file-newer-than-file-p FILE1 FILE2) returns non-nil if FILE1 has been
modified more recently than FILE2. If FILE1 does not exist, the value
This is meant for use when FILE2 depends on FILE1, to see if changes
in FILE1 make it necessary to recompute FILE2 from it.
-** Changed function `file-exists-p'.
+*** Changed function `file-exists-p'.
This function is no longer the same as `file-readable-p'.
`file-exists-p' can now return t for a file that exists but which
the fascists won't allow you to read.
-** New function `file-locked-p'.
+*** New function `file-locked-p'.
This function receives a file name as argument and returns `nil'
if the file is not locked, `t' if locked by this Emacs, or a
string giving the name of the user who has locked it.
-** New function `file-name-sans-versions'.
+*** New function `file-name-sans-versions'.
(file-name-sans-versions NAME) returns a substring of NAME, with any
version numbers or other backup suffixes deleted from the end.
-** New functions for directory names.
+*** New functions for directory names.
Although a directory is really a kind of file, specifying a directory
uses a somewhat different syntax from specifying a file.
On VMS, (file-name-as-directory "du:[rms]foo.dir") returns "du:[rms.foo]"
and (directory-file-name "du:[rms.foo]") returns "du:[rms]foo.dir".
-** Value of `file-attributes' changed.
+*** Value of `file-attributes' changed.
The function file-attributes returns a list containing many kinds of
information about a file. Now the list has eleven elements.
The eleventh element is the inode number of the file.
-** VMS-only function `file-name-all-versions'.
+*** VMS-only function `file-name-all-versions'.
This function returns a list of all the completions, including version
number, of a specified version-number-less file name. This is like
`file-name-all-completions', except that the latter returns values
that do not include version numbers.
-** VMS-only variable `vms-stmlf-recfm'.
+*** VMS-only variable `vms-stmlf-recfm'.
On a VMS system, if this variable is non-nil, Emacs will give newly
created files the record format `stmlf'. This is necessary for files
This variable has no effect on Unix systems.
-** `insert-file-contents' on an empty file.
+*** `insert-file-contents' on an empty file.
This no longer sets the buffer's "modified" flag.
-** New function (VMS only) `define-logical-name':
+*** New function (VMS only) `define-logical-name':
(define-logical-name LOGICAL TRANSLATION) defines a VMS logical name
LOGICAL whose translation is TRANSLATION. The new name applies to
the current process only.
-** Deleted variable `ask-about-buffer-names'.
+*** Deleted variable `ask-about-buffer-names'.
If you want buffer names for files to be generated in a special way,
you must redefine `create-file-buffer'.
-* Subprocess-related changes.
+** Subprocess-related changes.
-** New function `process-list'.
+*** New function `process-list'.
This function takes no arguments and returns a list of all
of Emacs's asynchronous subprocesses.
-** New function `process-exit-status'.
+*** New function `process-exit-status'.
This function, given a process, process name or buffer as argument,
returns the exit status code or signal number of the process.
If the process has not yet exited or died, this function returns 0.
-** Process output ignores `buffer-read-only'.
+*** Process output ignores `buffer-read-only'.
Output from a process will go into the process's buffer even if the
buffer is read only.
-** Switching buffers in filter functions and sentinels.
+*** Switching buffers in filter functions and sentinels.
Emacs no longer saves and restore the current buffer around calling
the filter and sentinel functions, so these functions can now
permanently alter the selected buffer in a straightforward manner.
-** Specifying environment variables for subprocesses.
+*** Specifying environment variables for subprocesses.
When a subprocess is started with `start-process' or `call-process',
the value of the variable `process-environment' is taken to
`process-environment' is initialized when Emacs starts up
based on Emacs's environment.
-** New variable `process-connection-type'.
+*** New variable `process-connection-type'.
If this variable is `nil', when a subprocess is created, Emacs uses
a pipe rather than a pty to communicate with it. Normally this
variable is `t', telling Emacs to use a pty if ptys are supported
and one is available.
-** New function `waiting-for-user-input-p'.
+*** New function `waiting-for-user-input-p'.
This function, given a subprocess as argument, returns `t' if that
subprocess appears to be waiting for input sent from Emacs,
or `nil' otherwise.
-** New hook `shell-set-directory-error-hook'.
+*** New hook `shell-set-directory-error-hook'.
The value of this variable is called, with no arguments, whenever
Shell mode gets an error trying to keep track of directory-setting
commands (such as `cd' and `pushd') used in the shell buffer.
-* New functions `user-uid' and `user-real-uid'.
+** New functions `user-uid' and `user-real-uid'.
These functions take no arguments and return, respectively,
the effective uid and the real uid of the Emacs process.
The value in each case is an integer.
-* New variable `print-escape-newlines' controls string printing.
+** New variable `print-escape-newlines' controls string printing.
If this variable is non-`nil', then when a Lisp string is printed
by the Lisp printing function `prin1' or `print', newline characters
are printed as `\n' rather than as a literal newline.
-* New function `sysnetunam' on HPUX.
+** New function `sysnetunam' on HPUX.
This function takes two arguments, a network address PATH and a
login string LOGIN, and executes the system call `netunam'.
\f
News regarding installation:
-* Many `s-...' file names changed.
+** Many `s-...' file names changed.
Many `s-...' files have been renamed. All periods in such names,
except the ones just before the final `h', have been changed to
This is so a Unix distribution can be moved mechanically to VMS.
-* `DOCSTR...' file now called `DOC-...'.
+** `DOCSTR...' file now called `DOC-...'.
The file of on-line documentation strings, that used to be
`DOCSTR.mm.nn.oo' in this directory, is now called `DOC-mm.nn.oo'.
This file also now contains the doc strings for variables as
well as functions.
-* Emacs no longer uses floating point arithmetic.
+** Emacs no longer uses floating point arithmetic.
This may make it easier to port to some machines.
-* Macros `XPNTR' and `XSETPNTR'; flag `DATA_SEG_BITS'.
+** Macros `XPNTR' and `XSETPNTR'; flag `DATA_SEG_BITS'.
These macros exclusively are used to unpack a pointer from a Lisp_Object
and to insert a pointer into a Lisp_Object. Redefining them may help
If `DATA_SEG_BITS' is defined, it should be a number which contains
the high bits to be inclusive or'ed with pointers that are unpacked.
-* New flag `HAVE_X_MENU'.
+** New flag `HAVE_X_MENU'.
Define this flag in `config.h' in addition to `HAVE_X_WINDOWS'
to enable use of the Emacs interface to X Menus. On some operating
do not work; hence this separate flag. See the file `src/xmenu.c'
for more information.
-* Macros `ARRAY_MARK_FLAG' and `DONT_COPY_FLAG'.
+** Macros `ARRAY_MARK_FLAG' and `DONT_COPY_FLAG'.
-* `HAVE_ALLOCA' prevents assembly of `alloca.s'.
+** `HAVE_ALLOCA' prevents assembly of `alloca.s'.
-* `SYSTEM_MALLOC' prevents use of GNU `malloc.c'.
+** `SYSTEM_MALLOC' prevents use of GNU `malloc.c'.
SYSTEM_MALLOC, if defined, means use the system's own `malloc' routines
rather than those that come with Emacs.
Use this only if absolutely necessary, because if it is used you do
not get warnings when space is getting low.
-* New flags to control unexec.
+** New flags to control unexec.
See the file `unexec.c' for a long comment on the compilation
switches that suffice to make it work on many machines.
-* `PNTR_COMPARISON_TYPE'
+** `PNTR_COMPARISON_TYPE'
Pointers that need to be compared for ordering are converted to this type
first. Normally this is `unsigned int'.
-* `HAVE_VFORK', `HAVE_DUP2' and `HAVE_GETTIMEOFDAY'.
+** `HAVE_VFORK', `HAVE_DUP2' and `HAVE_GETTIMEOFDAY'.
These flags just say whether certain system calls are available.
-* New macros control compiler switches, linker switches and libraries.
+** New macros control compiler switches, linker switches and libraries.
The m- and s- files can now control in a modular fashion the precise
arguments passed to `cc' and `ld'.
\f
Local variables:
-mode: text
+mode: outline
end:
projects / emacs.git / commitdiff