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This is Info file ../../info/xemacs.info, produced by Makeinfo version 1.68 from the input file xemacs.texi. This file documents the XEmacs editor. Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1988 Richard M. Stallman. Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Lucid, Inc. Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Copyright (C) 1995 Amdahl Corporation. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" are included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" may be included in a translation approved by the author instead of in the original English. File: xemacs.info, Node: Lisp Interaction, Next: External Lisp, Prev: Lisp Debug, Up: Running Lisp Interaction Buffers ======================== The buffer `*scratch*', which is selected when Emacs starts up, is provided for evaluating Lisp expressions interactively inside Emacs. Both the expressions you evaluate and their output goes in the buffer. The `*scratch*' buffer's major mode is Lisp Interaction mode, which is the same as Emacs-Lisp mode except for one command, <LFD>. In Emacs-Lisp mode, <LFD> is an indentation command. In Lisp Interaction mode, <LFD> is bound to `eval-print-last-sexp'. This function reads the Lisp expression before point, evaluates it, and inserts the value in printed representation before point. The way to use the `*scratch*' buffer is to insert Lisp expressions at the end, ending each one with <LFD> so that it will be evaluated. The result is a complete typescript of the expressions you have evaluated and their values. The rationale for this feature is that Emacs must have a buffer when it starts up, but that buffer is not useful for editing files since a new buffer is made for every file that you visit. The Lisp interpreter typescript is the most useful thing I can think of for the initial buffer to do. `M-x lisp-interaction-mode' will put any buffer in Lisp Interaction mode. File: xemacs.info, Node: External Lisp, Prev: Lisp Interaction, Up: Running Running an External Lisp ======================== Emacs has facilities for running programs in other Lisp systems. You can run a Lisp process as an inferior of Emacs, and pass expressions to it to be evaluated. You can also pass changed function definitions directly from the Emacs buffers in which you edit the Lisp programs to the inferior Lisp process. To run an inferior Lisp process, type `M-x run-lisp'. This runs the program named `lisp', the same program you would run by typing `lisp' as a shell command, with both input and output going through an Emacs buffer named `*lisp*'. In other words, any "terminal output" from Lisp will go into the buffer, advancing point, and any "terminal input" for Lisp comes from text in the buffer. To give input to Lisp, go to the end of the buffer and type the input, terminated by <RET>. The `*lisp*' buffer is in Inferior Lisp mode, which has all the special characteristics of Lisp mode and Shell mode (*note Shell Mode::.). Use Lisp mode to run the source files of programs in external Lisps. You can select this mode with `M-x lisp-mode'. It is used automatically for files whose names end in `.l' or `.lisp', as most Lisp systems usually expect. When you edit a function in a Lisp program you are running, the easiest way to send the changed definition to the inferior Lisp process is the key `C-M-x'. In Lisp mode, this key runs the function `lisp-send-defun', which finds the defun around or following point and sends it as input to the Lisp process. (Emacs can send input to any inferior process regardless of what buffer is current.) Contrast the meanings of `C-M-x' in Lisp mode (for editing programs to be run in another Lisp system) and Emacs-Lisp mode (for editing Lisp programs to be run in Emacs): in both modes it has the effect of installing the function definition that point is in, but the way of doing so is different according to where the relevant Lisp environment is found. *Note Lisp Modes::. File: xemacs.info, Node: Abbrevs, Next: Picture, Prev: Running, Up: Top Abbrevs ******* An "abbrev" is a word which "expands" into some different text. Abbrevs are defined by the user to expand in specific ways. For example, you might define `foo' as an abbrev expanding to `find outer otter'. With this abbrev defined, you would be able to get `find outer otter ' into the buffer by typing `f o o <SPC>'. Abbrevs expand only when Abbrev mode (a minor mode) is enabled. Disabling Abbrev mode does not cause abbrev definitions to be discarded, but they do not expand until Abbrev mode is enabled again. The command `M-x abbrev-mode' toggles Abbrev mode; with a numeric argument, it turns Abbrev mode on if the argument is positive, off otherwise. *Note Minor Modes::. `abbrev-mode' is also a variable; Abbrev mode is on when the variable is non-`nil'. The variable `abbrev-mode' automatically becomes local to the current buffer when it is set. Abbrev definitions can be "mode-specific"--active only in one major mode. Abbrevs can also have "global" definitions that are active in all major modes. The same abbrev can have a global definition and various mode-specific definitions for different major modes. A mode-specific definition for the current major mode overrides a global definition. You can define Abbrevs interactively during an editing session. You can also save lists of abbrev definitions in files and reload them in later sessions. Some users keep extensive lists of abbrevs that they load in every session. A second kind of abbreviation facility is called the "dynamic expansion". Dynamic abbrev expansion happens only when you give an explicit command and the result of the expansion depends only on the current contents of the buffer. *Note Dynamic Abbrevs::. * Menu: * Defining Abbrevs:: Defining an abbrev, so it will expand when typed. * Expanding Abbrevs:: Controlling expansion: prefixes, canceling expansion. * Editing Abbrevs:: Viewing or editing the entire list of defined abbrevs. * Saving Abbrevs:: Saving the entire list of abbrevs for another session. * Dynamic Abbrevs:: Abbreviations for words already in the buffer. File: xemacs.info, Node: Defining Abbrevs, Next: Expanding Abbrevs, Prev: Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Defining Abbrevs ================ `C-x a g' Define an abbrev to expand into some text before point (`add-global-abbrev'). `C-x a l' Similar, but define an abbrev available only in the current major mode (`add-mode-abbrev'). `C-x a i g' Define a word in the buffer as an abbrev (`inverse-add-global-abbrev'). `C-x a i l' Define a word in the buffer as a mode-specific abbrev (`inverse-add-mode-abbrev'). `M-x kill-all-abbrevs' After this command, no abbrev definitions remain in effect. The usual way to define an abbrev is to enter the text you want the abbrev to expand to, position point after it, and type `C-x a g' (`add-global-abbrev'). This reads the abbrev itself using the minibuffer, and then defines it as an abbrev for one or more words before point. Use a numeric argument to say how many words before point should be taken as the expansion. For example, to define the abbrev `foo' as in the example above, insert the text `find outer otter', then type `C-u 3 C-x a g f o o <RET>'. An argument of zero to `C-x a g' means to use the contents of the region as the expansion of the abbrev being defined. The command `C-x a l' (`add-mode-abbrev') is similar, but defines a mode-specific abbrev. Mode-specific abbrevs are active only in a particular major mode. `C-x a l' defines an abbrev for the major mode in effect at the time `C-x a l' is typed. The arguments work the same way they do for `C-x a g'. If the text of an abbrev you want is already in the buffer instead of the expansion, use command `C-x a i g' (`inverse-add-global-abbrev') instead of `C-x a g', or use `C-x a i l' (`inverse-add-mode-abbrev') instead of `C-x a l'. These commands are called "inverse" because they invert the meaning of the argument found in the buffer and the argument read using the minibuffer. To change the definition of an abbrev, just add the new definition. You will be asked to confirm if the abbrev has a prior definition. To remove an abbrev definition, give a negative argument to `C-x a g' or `C-x a l'. You must choose the command to specify whether to kill a global definition or a mode-specific definition for the current mode, since those two definitions are independent for one abbrev. `M-x kill-all-abbrevs' removes all existing abbrev definitions. File: xemacs.info, Node: Expanding Abbrevs, Next: Editing Abbrevs, Prev: Defining Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Controlling Abbrev Expansion ============================ An abbrev expands whenever it is in a buffer just before point and you type a self-inserting punctuation character (<SPC>, comma, etc.). Most often an abbrev is used by inserting the abbrev followed by punctuation. Abbrev expansion preserves case; thus, `foo' expands into `find outer otter', `Foo' into `Find outer otter', and `FOO' into `FIND OUTER OTTER' or `Find Outer Otter' according to the variable `abbrev-all-caps' (a non-`nil' value chooses the first of the two expansions). Two commands are available to control abbrev expansion: `M-'' Separate a prefix from a following abbrev to be expanded (`abbrev-prefix-mark'). `C-x a e' Expand the abbrev before point (`expand-abbrev'). This is effective even when Abbrev mode is not enabled. `M-x unexpand-abbrev' Undo last abbrev expansion. `M-x expand-region-abbrevs' Expand some or all abbrevs found in the region. You may wish to expand an abbrev with a prefix attached. For example, if `cnst' expands into `construction', you may want to use it to enter `reconstruction'. It does not work to type `recnst', because that is not necessarily a defined abbrev. Instead, you can use the command `M-'' (`abbrev-prefix-mark') between the prefix `re' and the abbrev `cnst'. First, insert `re'. Then type `M-''; this inserts a minus sign in the buffer to indicate that it has done its work. Then insert the abbrev `cnst'. The buffer now contains `re-cnst'. Now insert a punctuation character to expand the abbrev `cnst' into `construction'. The minus sign is deleted at this point by `M-''. The resulting text is the desired `reconstruction'. If you actually want the text of the abbrev in the buffer, rather than its expansion, insert the following punctuation with `C-q'. Thus, `foo C-q -' leaves `foo-' in the buffer. If you expand an abbrev by mistake, you can undo the expansion (replace the expansion by the original abbrev text) with `M-x unexpand-abbrev'. You can also use `C-_' (`undo') to undo the expansion; but that will first undo the insertion of the punctuation character. `M-x expand-region-abbrevs' searches through the region for defined abbrevs, and offers to replace each one it finds with its expansion. This command is useful if you have typed text using abbrevs but forgot to turn on Abbrev mode first. It may also be useful together with a special set of abbrev definitions for making several global replacements at once. The command is effective even if Abbrev mode is not enabled. File: xemacs.info, Node: Editing Abbrevs, Next: Saving Abbrevs, Prev: Expanding Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Examining and Editing Abbrevs ============================= `M-x list-abbrevs' Print a list of all abbrev definitions. `M-x edit-abbrevs' Edit a list of abbrevs; you can add, alter, or remove definitions. The output from `M-x list-abbrevs' looks like this: (lisp-mode-abbrev-table) "dk" 0 "define-key" (global-abbrev-table) "dfn" 0 "definition" (Some blank lines of no semantic significance, and some other abbrev tables, have been omitted.) A line containing a name in parentheses is the header for abbrevs in a particular abbrev table; `global-abbrev-table' contains all the global abbrevs, and the other abbrev tables that are named after major modes contain the mode-specific abbrevs. Within each abbrev table, each non-blank line defines one abbrev. The word at the beginning is the abbrev. The number that appears is the number of times the abbrev has been expanded. Emacs keeps track of this to help you see which abbrevs you actually use, in case you want to eliminate those that you don't use often. The string at the end of the line is the expansion. `M-x edit-abbrevs' allows you to add, change or kill abbrev definitions by editing a list of them in an Emacs buffer. The list has the format described above. The buffer of abbrevs is called `*Abbrevs*', and is in Edit-Abbrevs mode. This mode redefines the key `C-c C-c' to install the abbrev definitions as specified in the buffer. The `edit-abbrevs-redefine' command does this. Any abbrevs not described in the buffer are eliminated when this is done. `edit-abbrevs' is actually the same as `list-abbrevs', except that it selects the buffer `*Abbrevs*' whereas `list-abbrevs' merely displays it in another window. File: xemacs.info, Node: Saving Abbrevs, Next: Dynamic Abbrevs, Prev: Editing Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Saving Abbrevs ============== These commands allow you to keep abbrev definitions between editing sessions. `M-x write-abbrev-file' Write a file describing all defined abbrevs. `M-x read-abbrev-file' Read such an abbrev file and define abbrevs as specified there. `M-x quietly-read-abbrev-file' Similar, but do not display a message about what is going on. `M-x define-abbrevs' Define abbrevs from buffer. `M-x insert-abbrevs' Insert all abbrevs and their expansions into the buffer. Use `M-x write-abbrev-file' to save abbrev definitions for use in a later session. The command reads a file name using the minibuffer and writes a description of all current abbrev definitions into the specified file. The text stored in the file looks like the output of `M-x list-abbrevs'. `M-x read-abbrev-file' prompts for a file name using the minibuffer and reads the specified file, defining abbrevs according to its contents. `M-x quietly-read-abbrev-file' is the same but does not display a message in the echo area; it is actually useful primarily in the `.emacs' file. If you give an empty argument to either of these functions, the file name Emacs uses is the value of the variable `abbrev-file-name', which is by default `"~/.abbrev_defs"'. Emacs offers to save abbrevs automatically if you have changed any of them, whenever it offers to save all files (for `C-x s' or `C-x C-c'). Set the variable `save-abbrevs' to `nil' to inhibit this feature. The commands `M-x insert-abbrevs' and `M-x define-abbrevs' are similar to the previous commands but work on text in an Emacs buffer. `M-x insert-abbrevs' inserts text into the current buffer before point, describing all current abbrev definitions; `M-x define-abbrevs' parses the entire current buffer and defines abbrevs accordingly. File: xemacs.info, Node: Dynamic Abbrevs, Prev: Saving Abbrevs, Up: Abbrevs Dynamic Abbrev Expansion ======================== The abbrev facility described above operates automatically as you insert text, but all abbrevs must be defined explicitly. By contrast, "dynamic abbrevs" allow the meanings of abbrevs to be determined automatically from the contents of the buffer, but dynamic abbrev expansion happens only when you request it explicitly. `M-/' Expand the word in the buffer before point as a "dynamic abbrev", by searching in the buffer for words starting with that abbreviation (`dabbrev-expand'). For example, if the buffer contains `does this follow ' and you type `f o M-/', the effect is to insert `follow' because that is the last word in the buffer that starts with `fo'. A numeric argument to `M-/' says to take the second, third, etc. distinct expansion found looking backward from point. Repeating `M-/' searches for an alternative expansion by looking farther back. After the entire buffer before point has been considered, the buffer after point is searched. Dynamic abbrev expansion is completely independent of Abbrev mode; the expansion of a word with `M-/' is completely independent of whether it has a definition as an ordinary abbrev. File: xemacs.info, Node: Picture, Next: Sending Mail, Prev: Abbrevs, Up: Top Editing Pictures **************** If you want to create a picture made out of text characters (for example, a picture of the division of a register into fields, as a comment in a program), use the command `edit-picture' to enter Picture mode. In Picture mode, editing is based on the "quarter-plane" model of text. In this model, the text characters lie studded on an area that stretches infinitely far to the right and downward. The concept of the end of a line does not exist in this model; the most you can say is where the last non-blank character on the line is found. Of course, Emacs really always considers text as a sequence of characters, and lines really do have ends. But in Picture mode most frequently-used keys are rebound to commands that simulate the quarter-plane model of text. They do this by inserting spaces or by converting tabs to spaces. Most of the basic editing commands of Emacs are redefined by Picture mode to do essentially the same thing but in a quarter-plane way. In addition, Picture mode defines various keys starting with the `C-c' prefix to run special picture editing commands. One of these keys, `C-c C-c', is pretty important. Often a picture is part of a larger file that is usually edited in some other major mode. `M-x edit-picture' records the name of the previous major mode. You can then use the `C-c C-c' command (`picture-mode-exit') to restore that mode. `C-c C-c' also deletes spaces from the ends of lines, unless you give it a numeric argument. The commands used in Picture mode all work in other modes (provided the `picture' library is loaded), but are only bound to keys in Picture mode. Note that the descriptions below talk of moving "one column" and so on, but all the picture mode commands handle numeric arguments as their normal equivalents do. Turning on Picture mode calls the value of the variable `picture-mode-hook' as a function, with no arguments, if that value exists and is non-`nil'. * Menu: * Basic Picture:: Basic concepts and simple commands of Picture Mode. * Insert in Picture:: Controlling direction of cursor motion after "self-inserting" characters. * Tabs in Picture:: Various features for tab stops and indentation. * Rectangles in Picture:: Clearing and superimposing rectangles. File: xemacs.info, Node: Basic Picture, Next: Insert in Picture, Prev: Picture, Up: Picture Basic Editing in Picture Mode ============================= Most keys do the same thing in Picture mode that they usually do, but do it in a quarter-plane style. For example, `C-f' is rebound to run `picture-forward-column', which moves point one column to the right, by inserting a space if necessary, so that the actual end of the line makes no difference. `C-b' is rebound to run `picture-backward-column', which always moves point left one column, converting a tab to multiple spaces if necessary. `C-n' and `C-p' are rebound to run `picture-move-down' and `picture-move-up', which can either insert spaces or convert tabs as necessary to make sure that point stays in exactly the same column. `C-e' runs `picture-end-of-line', which moves to after the last non-blank character on the line. There was no need to change `C-a', as the choice of screen model does not affect beginnings of lines. Insertion of text is adapted to the quarter-plane screen model through the use of Overwrite mode (*note Minor Modes::.). Self-inserting characters replace existing text, column by column, rather than pushing existing text to the right. <RET> runs `picture-newline', which just moves to the beginning of the following line so that new text will replace that line. Text is erased instead of deleted and killed. <DEL> (`picture-backward-clear-column') replaces the preceding character with a space rather than removing it. `C-d' (`picture-clear-column') does the same in a forward direction. `C-k' (`picture-clear-line') really kills the contents of lines, but never removes the newlines from a buffer. To do actual insertion, you must use special commands. `C-o' (`picture-open-line') creates a blank line, but does so after the current line; it never splits a line. `C-M-o', `split-line', makes sense in Picture mode, so it remains unchanged. <LFD> (`picture-duplicate-line') inserts another line with the same contents below the current line. To actually delete parts of the picture, use `C-w', or with `C-c C-d' (which is defined as `delete-char', as `C-d' is in other modes), or with one of the picture rectangle commands (*note Rectangles in Picture::.). File: xemacs.info, Node: Insert in Picture, Next: Tabs in Picture, Prev: Basic Picture, Up: Picture Controlling Motion After Insert =============================== Since "self-inserting" characters just overwrite and move point in Picture mode, there is no essential restriction on how point should be moved. Normally point moves right, but you can specify any of the eight orthogonal or diagonal directions for motion after a "self-inserting" character. This is useful for drawing lines in the buffer. `C-c <' Move left after insertion (`picture-movement-left'). `C-c >' Move right after insertion (`picture-movement-right'). `C-c ^' Move up after insertion (`picture-movement-up'). `C-c .' Move down after insertion (`picture-movement-down'). `C-c `' Move up and left ("northwest") after insertion (`picture-movement-nw'). `C-c '' Move up and right ("northeast") after insertion (`picture-movement-ne'). `C-c /' Move down and left ("southwest") after insertion (`picture-movement-sw'). `C-c \' Move down and right ("southeast") after insertion (`picture-movement-se'). Two motion commands move based on the current Picture insertion direction. The command `C-c C-f' (`picture-motion') moves in the same direction as motion after "insertion" currently does, while `C-c C-b' (`picture-motion-reverse') moves in the opposite direction. File: xemacs.info, Node: Tabs in Picture, Next: Rectangles in Picture, Prev: Insert in Picture, Up: Picture Picture Mode Tabs ================= Two kinds of tab-like action are provided in Picture mode. Context-based tabbing is done with `M-<TAB>' (`picture-tab-search'). With no argument, it moves to a point underneath the next "interesting" character that follows whitespace in the previous non-blank line. "Next" here means "appearing at a horizontal position greater than the one point starts out at". With an argument, as in `C-u M-<TAB>', the command moves to the next such interesting character in the current line. `M-<TAB>' does not change the text; it only moves point. "Interesting" characters are defined by the variable `picture-tab-chars', which contains a string of characters considered interesting. Its default value is `"!-~"'. <TAB> itself runs `picture-tab', which operates based on the current tab stop settings; it is the Picture mode equivalent of `tab-to-tab-stop'. Without arguments it just moves point, but with a numeric argument it clears the text that it moves over. The context-based and tab-stop-based forms of tabbing are brought together by the command `C-c <TAB>' (`picture-set-tab-stops'.) This command sets the tab stops to the positions which `M-<TAB>' would consider significant in the current line. If you use this command with <TAB>, you can get the effect of context-based tabbing. But `M-<TAB>' is more convenient in the cases where it is sufficient. File: xemacs.info, Node: Rectangles in Picture, Prev: Tabs in Picture, Up: Picture Picture Mode Rectangle Commands =============================== Picture mode defines commands for working on rectangular pieces of the text in ways that fit with the quarter-plane model. The standard rectangle commands may also be useful (*note Rectangles::.). `C-c C-k' Clear out the region-rectangle (`picture-clear-rectangle'). With argument, kill it. `C-c C-w R' Similar but save rectangle contents in register R first (`picture-clear-rectangle-to-register'). `C-c C-y' Copy last killed rectangle into the buffer by overwriting, with upper left corner at point (`picture-yank-rectangle'). With argument, insert instead. `C-c C-x R' Similar, but use the rectangle in register R (`picture-yank-rectangle-from-register'). The picture rectangle commands `C-c C-k' (`picture-clear-rectangle') and `C-c C-w' (`picture-clear-rectangle-to-register') differ from the standard rectangle commands in that they normally clear the rectangle instead of deleting it; this is analogous with the way `C-d' is changed in Picture mode. However, deletion of rectangles can be useful in Picture mode, so these commands delete the rectangle if given a numeric argument. The Picture mode commands for yanking rectangles differ from the standard ones in overwriting instead of inserting. This is the same way that Picture mode insertion of other text is different from other modes. `C-c C-y' (`picture-yank-rectangle') inserts (by overwriting) the rectangle that was most recently killed, while `C-c C-x' (`picture-yank-rectangle-from-register') does for the rectangle found in a specified register. Since most region commands in Picture mode operate on rectangles, when you select a region of text with the mouse in Picture mode, it is highlighted as a rectangle. File: xemacs.info, Node: Sending Mail, Next: Reading Mail, Prev: Picture, Up: Top Sending Mail ************ To send a message in Emacs, start by typing the command (`C-x m') to select and initialize the `*mail*' buffer. You can then edit the text and headers of the message in the mail buffer, and type the command (`C-c C-c') to send the message. `C-x m' Begin composing a message to send (`mail'). `C-x 4 m' Likewise, but display the message in another window (`mail-other-window'). `C-c C-c' In Mail mode, send the message and switch to another buffer (`mail-send-and-exit'). The command `C-x m' (`mail') selects a buffer named `*mail*' and initializes it with the skeleton of an outgoing message. `C-x 4 m' (`mail-other-window') selects the `*mail*' buffer in a different window, leaving the previous current buffer visible. Because the buffer for mail composition is an ordinary Emacs buffer, you can switch to other buffers while in the middle of composing mail, and switch back later (or never). If you use the `C-x m' command again when you have been composing another message but have not sent it, a new mail buffer will be created; in this way, you can compose multiple messages at once. You can switch back to and complete an unsent message by using the normal buffer selection mechanisms. `C-u C-x m' is another way to switch back to a message in progress: it will search for an existing, unsent mail message buffer and select it. * Menu: * Format: Mail Format. Format of the mail being composed. * Headers: Mail Headers. Details of allowed mail header fields. * Mode: Mail Mode. Special commands for editing mail being composed. File: xemacs.info, Node: Mail Format, Next: Mail Headers, Prev: Sending Mail, Up: Sending Mail The Format of the Mail Buffer ============================= In addition to the "text" or contents, a message has "header fields", which say who sent it, when, to whom, why, and so on. Some header fields, such as the date and sender, are created automatically after the message is sent. Others, such as the recipient names, must be specified by you in order to send the message properly. Mail mode provides a few commands to help you edit some header fields, and some are preinitialized in the buffer automatically at times. You can insert or edit any header fields using ordinary editing commands. The line in the buffer that says: --text follows this line-- is a special delimiter that separates the headers you have specified from the text. Whatever follows this line is the text of the message; the headers precede it. The delimiter line itself does not appear in the message actually sent. The text used for the delimiter line is controlled by the variable `mail-header-separator'. Here is an example of what the headers and text in the `*mail*' buffer might look like. To: rms@mc CC: mly@mc, rg@oz Subject: The XEmacs User's Manual --Text follows this line-- Please ignore this message. File: xemacs.info, Node: Mail Headers, Next: Mail Mode, Prev: Mail Format, Up: Sending Mail Mail Header Fields ================== There are several header fields you can use in the `*mail*' buffer. Each header field starts with a field name at the beginning of a line, terminated by a colon. It does not matter whether you use upper or lower case in the field name. After the colon and optional whitespace comes the contents of the field. `To' This field contains the mailing addresses of the message. `Subject' The contents of the `Subject' field should be a piece of text that says what the message is about. Subject fields are useful because most mail-reading programs can provide a summary of messages, listing the subject of each message but not its text. `CC' This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to, but whose readers should not regard the message as addressed to them. `BCC' This field contains additional mailing addresses to send the message to, but which should not appear in the header of the message actually sent. `FCC' This field contains the name of one file (in Unix mail file format) to which a copy of the message should be appended when the message is sent. `From' Use the `From' field to say who you are, when the account you are using to send the mail is not your own. The contents of the `From' field should be a valid mailing address, since replies will normally go there. `Reply-To' Use the `Reply-To' field to direct replies to a different address, not your own. `From' and `Reply-To' have the same effect on where replies go, but they convey a different meaning to the person who reads the message. `In-Reply-To' This field contains a piece of text describing a message you are replying to. Some mail systems can use the information to correlate related pieces of mail. This field is normally filled in by your mail handling package when you are replying to a message and you never need to think about it. The `To', `CC', `BCC' and `FCC' fields can appear any number of times, to specify many places to send the message. The `To', `CC', and `BCC', fields can have continuation lines. All the lines starting with whitespace, following the line on which the field starts, are considered part of the field. For example, To: foo@here, this@there, me@gnu.cambridge.mass.usa.earth.spiral3281 If you have a `~/.mailrc' file, Emacs scans it for mail aliases the first time you try to send mail in an Emacs session. Emacs expands aliases found in the `To', `CC', and `BCC' fields where appropriate. You can set the variable `mail-abbrev-mailrc-file' to the name of the file with mail aliases. If `nil', `~/.mailrc' is used. Your `.mailrc' file ensures that word-abbrevs are defined for each of your mail aliases when point is in a `To', `CC', `BCC', or `From' field. The aliases are defined in your `.mailrc' file or in a file specified by the MAILRC environment variable if it exists. Your mail aliases expand any time you type a word-delimiter at the end of an abbreviation. In this version of Emacs, what you see is what you get: in contrast to some other versions, no abbreviations are expanded after you have sent the mail. This means you don't suffer the annoyance of having the system do things behind your back -- if the system rewrites an address you typed, you know it immediately, instead of after the mail has been sent and it's too late to do anything about it. For example, you will never again be in trouble because you forgot to delete an old alias from your `.mailrc' and a new local user is given a userid which conflicts with one of your aliases. Your mail alias abbrevs are in effect only when point is in an appropriate header field. The mail aliases will not expand in the body of the message, or in other header fields. The default mode-specific abbrev table `mail-mode-abbrev-table' is used instead if defined. That means if you have been using mail-mode specific abbrevs, this code will not adversely affect you. You can control which header fields the abbrevs are used in by changing the variable `mail-abbrev-mode-regexp'. If auto-fill mode is on, abbrevs wrap at commas instead of at word boundaries, and header continuation lines will be properly indented. You can also insert a mail alias with `mail-interactive-insert-alias'. This function, which is bound to `C-c C-a', prompts you for an alias (with completion) and inserts its expansion at point. In this version of Emacs, it is possible to have lines like the following in your `.mailrc' file: alias someone "John Doe <doe@quux.com>" That is, if you want an address to have embedded spaces, simply surround it with double-quotes. The quotes are necessary because the format of the `.mailrc' file uses spaces as address delimiters. Aliases in the `.mailrc' file may be nested. For example, assume you define aliases like: alias group1 fred ethel alias group2 larry curly moe alias everybody group1 group2 When you now type `everybody' on the `To' line, it will expand to: fred, ethyl, larry, curly, moe Aliases may contain forward references; the alias of `everybody' in the example above can precede the aliases of `group1' and `group2'. In this version of Emacs, you can use the `source' `.mailrc' command for reading aliases from some other file as well. Aliases may contain hyphens, as in `"alias foo-bar foo@bar"', even though word-abbrevs normally cannot contain hyphens. To read in the contents of another `.mailrc'-type file from Emacs, use the command `M-x merge-mail-aliases'. The `rebuild-mail-aliases' command is similar, but deletes existing aliases first. If you want multiple addresses separated by a string other than `,' (a comma), then set the variable `mail-alias-seperator-string' to it. This has to be a comma bracketed by whitespace if you want any kind of reasonable behavior. If the variable `mail-archive-file-name' is non-`nil', it should be a string naming a file. Each time you start to edit a message to send, an `FCC' field is entered for that file. Unless you remove the `FCC' field, every message is written into that file when it is sent. File: xemacs.info, Node: Mail Mode, Prev: Mail Headers, Up: Sending Mail Mail Mode ========= The major mode used in the `*mail*' buffer is Mail mode. Mail mode is similar to Text mode, but several commands are provided on the `C-c' prefix. These commands all deal specifically with editing or sending the message. `C-c C-s' Send the message, and leave the `*mail*' buffer selected (`mail-send'). `C-c C-c' Send the message, and select some other buffer (`mail-send-and-exit'). `C-c C-f C-t' Move to the `To' header field, creating one if there is none (`mail-to'). `C-c C-f C-s' Move to the `Subject' header field, creating one if there is none (`mail-subject'). `C-c C-f C-c' Move to the `CC' header field, creating one if there is none (`mail-cc'). `C-c C-w' Insert the file `~/.signature' at the end of the message text (`mail-signature'). `C-c C-y' Yank the selected message (`mail-yank-original'). `C-c C-q' Fill all paragraphs of yanked old messages, each individually (`mail-fill-yanked-message'). `<button3>' Pops up a menu of useful mail-mode commands. There are two ways to send a message. `C-c C-c' (`mail-send-and-exit') is the usual way to send the message. It sends the message and then deletes the window (if there is another window) or switches to another buffer. It puts the `*mail*' buffer at the lowest priority for automatic reselection, since you are finished with using it. `C-c C-s' (`mail-send') sends the message and marks the `*mail*' buffer unmodified, but leaves that buffer selected so that you can modify the message (perhaps with new recipients) and send it again. Mail mode provides some other special commands that are useful for editing the headers and text of the message before you send it. There are three commands defined to move point to particular header fields, all based on the prefix `C-c C-f' (`C-f' is for "field"). They are `C-c C-f C-t' (`mail-to') to move to the `To' field, `C-c C-f C-s' (`mail-subject') for the `Subject' field, and `C-c C-f C-c' (`mail-cc') for the `CC' field. These fields have special motion commands because they are edited most frequently. `C-c C-w' (`mail-signature') adds a standard piece of text at the end of the message to say more about who you are. The text comes from the file `.signature' in your home directory. When you use an Rmail command to send mail from the Rmail mail reader, you can use `C-c C-y' `mail-yank-original' inside the `*mail*' buffer to insert the text of the message you are replying to. Normally Rmail indents each line of that message four spaces and eliminates most header fields. A numeric argument specifies the number of spaces to indent. An argument of just `C-u' says not to indent at all and not to eliminate anything. `C-c C-y' always uses the current message from the `RMAIL' buffer, so you can insert several old messages by selecting one in `RMAIL', switching to `*mail*' and yanking it, then switching back to `RMAIL' to select another. After using `C-c C-y', you can use the command `C-c C-q' (`mail-fill-yanked-message') to fill the paragraphs of the yanked old message or messages. One use of `C-c C-q' fills all such paragraphs, each one separately. Clicking the right mouse button in a mail buffer pops up a menu of the above commands, for easy access. Turning on Mail mode (which `C-x m' does automatically) calls the value of `text-mode-hook', if it is not void or `nil', and then calls the value of `mail-mode-hook' if that is not void or `nil'. File: xemacs.info, Node: Reading Mail, Next: Calendar/Diary, Prev: Sending Mail, Up: Top Reading Mail ************ XEmacs provides three separate mail-reading packages. Each one comes with its own manual, which is included standard with the XEmacs distribution. The recommended mail-reading package for new users is VM. VM works with standard Unix-mail-format folders and was designed as a replacement for the older Rmail. XEmacs also provides a sophisticated and comfortable front-end to the MH mail-processing system, called `mh-e'. Unlike in other mail programs, folders in MH are stored as file-system directories, with each message occupying one (numbered) file. This facilitates working with mail using shell commands, and many other features of MH are also designed to integrate well with the shell and with shell scripts. Keep in mind, however, that in order to use mh-e you must have the MH mail-processing system installed on your computer. Finally, XEmacs provides the Rmail package. Rmail is (currently) the only mail reading package distributed with FSF GNU Emacs, and is powerful in its own right. However, it stores mail folders in a special format called `Babyl', that is incompatible with all other frequently-used mail programs. A utility program is provided for converting Babyl folders to standard Unix-mail format; however, unless you already have mail in Babyl-format folders, you should consider using VM or mh-e instead. (If at times you have to use FSF Emacs, it is not hard to obtain and install VM for that editor.) File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar/Diary, Next: Sorting, Prev: Reading Mail, Up: Top Calendar Mode and the Diary =========================== Emacs provides the functions of a desk calendar, with a diary of past or planned events. Display the calendar by typing `M-x calendar'. This command creates a window containing a three-month calendar centered on the current month, with point on the current date. Or, provide a prefix argument by typing `C-u M-x calendar'; then you are prompted for the month and year to be the center of the three-month calendar. In either case, you are now in Calendar mode. Calendar mode makes it easy to look at the holidays or diary entries associated with various dates, and to change the diary entries. You can move freely between the Calendar window and other windows. To exit the calendar, type `q'. * Menu: * Calendar Motion:: Moving through the calendar; selecting a date. * Scroll Calendar:: Bringing earlier or later months onto the screen. * Mark and Region:: Remembering dates, the mark ring. * General Calendar:: Conveniences for moving about. * Holidays:: Displaying dates of holidays. * Sunrise/Sunset:: Displaying local times of sunrise and sunset. * Lunar Phases:: Displaying phases of the moon. * Other Calendars:: Converting dates to other calendar systems. * Diary:: Displaying events from your diary. * Calendar Customization:: Altering the behavior of the features above. File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Motion, Next: Scroll Calendar, Prev: Calendar/Diary, Up: Calendar/Diary Movement in the Calendar ------------------------ Calendar mode lets you move in logical units of time such as days, weeks, months, and years. Sometimes you need to move to a specific date in order to enter commands affecting its display or the associated diary entries. If you move outside the three months originally displayed, the calendar display scrolls automatically through time. * Menu: * Calendar Unit Motion:: Moving by days, weeks, months, and years. * Move to Beginning or End:: Moving to start/end of weeks, months, and years. * Specified Dates:: Moving to the current date or another specific date. File: xemacs.info, Node: Calendar Unit Motion, Next: Move to Beginning or End, Prev: Calendar Motion, Up: Calendar Motion Motion by Integral Days, Weeks, Months, Years ............................................. The commands for movement in the calendar buffer parallel the commands for movement in text. You can move forward and backward by days, weeks, months, and years. `C-f' Move point one day forward (`calendar-forward-day'). `C-b' Move point one day backward (`calendar-backward-day'). `C-n' Move point one week forward (`calendar-forward-week'). `C-p' Move point one week backward (`calendar-backward-week'). `M-}' Move point one month forward (`calendar-forward-month'). `M-{' Move point one month backward (`calendar-backward-month'). `C-x ]' Move point one year forward (`calendar-forward-year'). `C-x [' Move point one year backward (`calendar-forward-year'). The day and week commands are natural analogues of the usual Emacs commands for moving by characters and by lines. Just as `C-n' usually moves to the same column in the following line, in Calendar mode it moves to the same day in the following week. And `C-p' moves to the same day in the previous week. The commands for motion by months and years work like those for weeks, but move a larger distance. The month commands `M-}' and `M-{' move forward or backward by an entire month's time. The year commands `C-x ]' and `C-x [' move forward or backward a whole year. The easiest way to remember these commands is to consider months and years analogous to paragraphs and pages of text, respectively. But the commands themselves are not quite analogous. The ordinary Emacs paragraph commands move to the beginning or end of a paragraph, whereas these month and year commands move by an entire month or an entire year, which usually involves skipping across the end of a month or year. Each of these commands accepts a numeric argument as a repeat count. For convenience, the digit keys and the minus sign are bound in Calendar mode so that it is unnecessary to type the `M-' prefix. For example, `100 C-f' moves point 100 days forward from its present location. File: xemacs.info, Node: Move to Beginning or End, Next: Specified Dates, Prev: Calendar Unit Motion, Up: Calendar Motion Beginning or End of Week, Month or Year ....................................... A week (or month, or year) is not just a quantity of days; we think of new weeks (months, years) as starting on particular days. So Calendar mode provides commands to move to the beginning or end of the week, month or year: `C-a' Move point to beginning of week (`calendar-beginning-of-week'). `C-e' Move point to end of week (`calendar-end-of-week'). `M-a' Move point to beginning of month (`calendar-beginning-of-month'). `M-e' Move point to end of month (`calendar-end-of-month'). `M-<' Move point to beginning of year (`calendar-beginning-of-year'). `M->' Move point to end of year (`calendar-end-of-year'). These commands also take numeric arguments as repeat counts, with the repeat count indicating how many weeks, months, or years to move backward or forward. File: xemacs.info, Node: Specified Dates, Prev: Move to Beginning or End, Up: Calendar Motion Particular Dates ................ Calendar mode provides some commands for getting to a particular date quickly. `g d' Move point to specified date (`calendar-goto-date'). `o' Center calendar around specified month (`calendar-other-month'). `.' Move point to today's date (`calendar-current-month'). `g d' (`calendar-goto-date') prompts for a year, a month, and a day of the month, and then goes to that date. Because the calendar includes all dates from the beginning of the current era, you must type the year in its entirety; that is, type `1990', not `90'. `o' (`calendar-other-month') prompts for a month and year, then centers the three-month calendar around that month. You can return to the current date with `.' (`calendar-current-month'). File: xemacs.info, Node: Scroll Calendar, Next: Mark and Region, Prev: Calendar Motion, Up: Calendar/Diary Scrolling the Calendar through Time ----------------------------------- The calendar display scrolls automatically through time when you move out of the visible portion. You can also scroll it manually. Imagine that the calendar window contains a long strip of paper with the months on it. Scrolling it means moving the strip so that new months become visible in the window. `C-x <' Scroll calendar one month forward (`scroll-calendar-left'). `C-x >' Scroll calendar one month backward (`scroll-calendar-right'). `C-v' Scroll calendar three months forward (`scroll-calendar-left-three-months'). `M-v' Scroll calendar three months backward (`scroll-calendar-right-three-months'). The most basic calendar scroll commands scroll by one month at a time. This means that there are two months of overlap between the display before the command and the display after. `C-x <' scrolls the calendar contents one month to the left; that is, it moves the display forward in time. `C-x >' scrolls the contents to the right, which moves backwards in time. The commands `C-v' and `M-v' scroll the calendar by an entire "screenful"--three months--in analogy with the usual meaning of these commands. `C-v' makes later dates visible and `M-v' makes earlier dates visible. These commands also take a numeric argument as a repeat count; in particular, since `C-u' (`universal-argument') multiplies the next command by four, typing `C-u C-v' scrolls the calendar forward by a year and typing `C-u M-v' scrolls the calendar backward by a year. Any of the special Calendar mode commands scrolls the calendar automatically as necessary to ensure that the date you have moved to is visible.