From 2a8868924dba253c22a02915a33e06390bd2dcff Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Eli Zaretskii Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 08:28:59 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Document the way Emacs prompts for a safe coding system when the buffer is saved. --- man/mule.texi | 28 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 28 insertions(+) diff --git a/man/mule.texi b/man/mule.texi index 89d46cd1683..d8b9265d9c8 100644 --- a/man/mule.texi +++ b/man/mule.texi @@ -636,6 +636,34 @@ a different coding system, you can specify a different coding system for the buffer using @code{set-buffer-file-coding-system} (@pxref{Specify Coding}). + While editing a file, you will sometimes insert characters which +cannot be encoded with the coding system stored in +@code{buffer-file-coding-system}. For example, suppose you start with +an ASCII file and insert a few Latin-1 characters into it. Or you could +edit a text file in Polish encoded in @code{iso-8859-2} and add to it +translations of several Polish words into Russian. When you save the +buffer, Emacs can no longer use the previous value of the buffer's +coding system, because the characters you added cannot be encoded by +that coding system. + + When that happens, Emacs tries the most-preferred coding system (set +by @kbd{M-x prefer-coding-system} or @kbd{M-x +set-language-environment}), and if that coding system can safely encode +all of the characters in the buffer, Emacs uses it, and stores its value +in @code{buffer-file-coding-system}. Otherwise, Emacs pops up a window +with a list of coding systems suitable for encoding the buffer, and +prompts you to choose one of those coding systems. + + If you insert characters which cannot be encoded by the buffer's +coding system while editing a mail message, Emacs behaves a bit +differently. It additionally checks whether the most-preferred coding +system is recommended for use in MIME messages; if it isn't, Emacs tells +you that the most-preferred coding system is not recommended and prompts +you for another coding system. This is so you won't inadvertently send +a message encoded in a way that your recipient's mail software will have +difficulty decoding. (If you do want to use the most-preferred coding +system, you can type its name to Emacs prompt anyway.) + @vindex sendmail-coding-system When you send a message with Mail mode (@pxref{Sending Mail}), Emacs has four different ways to determine the coding system to use for encoding -- 2.39.2