@c 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Maintaining, Abbrevs, Building, Top
-@chapter Maintaining Programs
-@cindex Lisp editing
-@cindex C editing
-@cindex program editing
+@chapter Maintaining Large Programs
- This chapter describes Emacs features for maintaining programs. The
-version control features (@pxref{Version Control}) are also particularly
-useful for this purpose.
+ This chapter describes Emacs features for maintaining large
+programs. The version control features (@pxref{Version Control}) are
+also particularly useful for this purpose.
@menu
* Change Log:: Maintaining a change history for your program.
* Format of ChangeLog:: What the change log file looks like.
* Tags:: Go direct to any function in your program in one
command. Tags remembers which file it is in.
-* Emerge:: A convenient way of merging two versions of a program.
+@ifnottex
+* Emerge:: A convenient way of merging two versions of a program.
+@end ifnottex
@end menu
@node Change Log
You should put a copyright notice and permission notice at the
end of the change log file. Here is an example:
-@example
+@smallexample
Copyright 1997, 1998 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are
permitted provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved.
-@end example
+@end smallexample
@noindent
Of course, you should substitute the proper years and copyright holder.
@item
In C code, any C function or typedef is a tag, and so are definitions of
@code{struct}, @code{union} and @code{enum}.
-@code{#define} macro definitions and @code{enum} constants are also
+@code{#define} macro definitions, @code{#undef} and @code{enum}
+constants are also
tags, unless you specify @samp{--no-defines} when making the tags table.
Similarly, global variables are tags, unless you specify
@samp{--no-globals}. Use of @samp{--no-globals} and @samp{--no-defines}
@iftex
the previous section.
@end iftex
-@ifinfo
+@ifnottex
@ref{Tag Syntax}.
-@end ifinfo
+@end ifnottex
Here is how to run @code{etags}:
@example
move an entire directory tree containing both the tags file and the
source files, and the tags file will still refer correctly to the source
files. If the tags file is in @file{/dev}, however, the file names are
-made relative to the current working directory.
+made relative to the current working directory. This is useful, for
+example, when writing the tags to @file{/dev/stdout}.
If you specify absolute file names as arguments to @code{etags}, then
the tags file will contain absolute file names. This way, the tags file
You can also use the collection of tag names to complete a symbol
name in the buffer. @xref{Symbol Completion}.
-@node Emerge
-@section Merging Files with Emerge
-@cindex Emerge
-@cindex merging files
-
- It's not unusual for programmers to get their signals crossed and
-modify the same program in two different directions. To recover from
-this confusion, you need to merge the two versions. Emerge makes this
-easier. See also @ref{Comparing Files}, for other ways to compare
-files, and @ref{Top, Ediff,, ediff, The Ediff Manual}.
-
-@menu
-* Overview of Emerge:: How to start Emerge. Basic concepts.
-* Submodes of Emerge:: Fast mode vs. Edit mode.
- Skip Prefers mode and Auto Advance mode.
-* State of Difference:: You do the merge by specifying state A or B
- for each difference.
-* Merge Commands:: Commands for selecting a difference,
- changing states of differences, etc.
-* Exiting Emerge:: What to do when you've finished the merge.
-* Combining in Emerge:: How to keep both alternatives for a difference.
-* Fine Points of Emerge:: Misc.
-@end menu
-
-@node Overview of Emerge
-@subsection Overview of Emerge
-
- To start Emerge, run one of these four commands:
-
-@table @kbd
-@item M-x emerge-files
-@findex emerge-files
-Merge two specified files.
-
-@item M-x emerge-files-with-ancestor
-@findex emerge-files-with-ancestor
-Merge two specified files, with reference to a common ancestor.
-
-@item M-x emerge-buffers
-@findex emerge-buffers
-Merge two buffers.
-
-@item M-x emerge-buffers-with-ancestor
-@findex emerge-buffers-with-ancestor
-Merge two buffers with reference to a common ancestor in a third
-buffer.
-@end table
-
-@cindex merge buffer (Emerge)
-@cindex A and B buffers (Emerge)
- The Emerge commands compare two files or buffers, and display the
-comparison in three buffers: one for each input text (the @dfn{A buffer}
-and the @dfn{B buffer}), and one (the @dfn{merge buffer}) where merging
-takes place. The merge buffer shows the full merged text, not just the
-differences. Wherever the two input texts differ, you can choose which
-one of them to include in the merge buffer.
-
- The Emerge commands that take input from existing buffers use only the
-accessible portions of those buffers, if they are narrowed
-(@pxref{Narrowing}).
-
- If a common ancestor version is available, from which the two texts to
-be merged were both derived, Emerge can use it to guess which
-alternative is right. Wherever one current version agrees with the
-ancestor, Emerge presumes that the other current version is a deliberate
-change which should be kept in the merged version. Use the
-@samp{with-ancestor} commands if you want to specify a common ancestor
-text. These commands read three file or buffer names---variant A,
-variant B, and the common ancestor.
-
- After the comparison is done and the buffers are prepared, the
-interactive merging starts. You control the merging by typing special
-@dfn{merge commands} in the merge buffer (@pxref{Merge Commands}).
-For each run of differences between the input texts, you can choose
-which one of them to keep, or edit them both together.
-
- The merge buffer uses a special major mode, Emerge mode, with commands
-for making these choices. But you can also edit the buffer with
-ordinary Emacs commands.
-
- At any given time, the attention of Emerge is focused on one
-particular difference, called the @dfn{selected} difference. This
-difference is marked off in the three buffers like this:
-
-@example
-vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
-@var{text that differs}
-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-@end example
-
-@noindent
-Emerge numbers all the differences sequentially and the mode
-line always shows the number of the selected difference.
-
- Normally, the merge buffer starts out with the A version of the text.
-But when the A version of a difference agrees with the common ancestor,
-then the B version is initially preferred for that difference.
-
- Emerge leaves the merged text in the merge buffer when you exit. At
-that point, you can save it in a file with @kbd{C-x C-w}. If you give a
-numeric argument to @code{emerge-files} or
-@code{emerge-files-with-ancestor}, it reads the name of the output file
-using the minibuffer. (This is the last file name those commands read.)
-Then exiting from Emerge saves the merged text in the output file.
-
- Normally, Emerge commands save the output buffer in its file when you
-exit. If you abort Emerge with @kbd{C-]}, the Emerge command does not
-save the output buffer, but you can save it yourself if you wish.
-
-@node Submodes of Emerge
-@subsection Submodes of Emerge
-
- You can choose between two modes for giving merge commands: Fast mode
-and Edit mode. In Fast mode, basic merge commands are single
-characters, but ordinary Emacs commands are disabled. This is
-convenient if you use only merge commands. In Edit mode, all merge
-commands start with the prefix key @kbd{C-c C-c}, and the normal Emacs
-commands are also available. This allows editing the merge buffer, but
-slows down Emerge operations.
-
- Use @kbd{e} to switch to Edit mode, and @kbd{C-c C-c f} to switch to
-Fast mode. The mode line indicates Edit and Fast modes with @samp{E}
-and @samp{F}.
-
- Emerge has two additional submodes that affect how particular merge
-commands work: Auto Advance mode and Skip Prefers mode.
-
- If Auto Advance mode is in effect, the @kbd{a} and @kbd{b} commands
-advance to the next difference. This lets you go through the merge
-faster as long as you simply choose one of the alternatives from the
-input. The mode line indicates Auto Advance mode with @samp{A}.
-
- If Skip Prefers mode is in effect, the @kbd{n} and @kbd{p} commands
-skip over differences in states prefer-A and prefer-B (@pxref{State of
-Difference}). Thus you see only differences for which neither version
-is presumed ``correct.'' The mode line indicates Skip Prefers mode with
-@samp{S}.
-
-@findex emerge-auto-advance-mode
-@findex emerge-skip-prefers-mode
- Use the command @kbd{s a} (@code{emerge-auto-advance-mode}) to set or
-clear Auto Advance mode. Use @kbd{s s}
-(@code{emerge-skip-prefers-mode}) to set or clear Skip Prefers mode.
-These commands turn on the mode with a positive argument, turns it off
-with a negative or zero argument, and toggle the mode with no argument.
-
-@node State of Difference
-@subsection State of a Difference
-
- In the merge buffer, a difference is marked with lines of @samp{v} and
-@samp{^} characters. Each difference has one of these seven states:
-
-@table @asis
-@item A
-The difference is showing the A version. The @kbd{a} command always
-produces this state; the mode line indicates it with @samp{A}.
-
-@item B
-The difference is showing the B version. The @kbd{b} command always
-produces this state; the mode line indicates it with @samp{B}.
-
-@item default-A
-@itemx default-B
-The difference is showing the A or the B state by default, because you
-haven't made a choice. All differences start in the default-A state
-(and thus the merge buffer is a copy of the A buffer), except those for
-which one alternative is ``preferred'' (see below).
-
-When you select a difference, its state changes from default-A or
-default-B to plain A or B. Thus, the selected difference never has
-state default-A or default-B, and these states are never displayed in
-the mode line.
-
-The command @kbd{d a} chooses default-A as the default state, and @kbd{d
-b} chooses default-B. This chosen default applies to all differences
-which you haven't ever selected and for which no alternative is preferred.
-If you are moving through the merge sequentially, the differences you
-haven't selected are those following the selected one. Thus, while
-moving sequentially, you can effectively make the A version the default
-for some sections of the merge buffer and the B version the default for
-others by using @kbd{d a} and @kbd{d b} between sections.
-
-@item prefer-A
-@itemx prefer-B
-The difference is showing the A or B state because it is
-@dfn{preferred}. This means that you haven't made an explicit choice,
-but one alternative seems likely to be right because the other
-alternative agrees with the common ancestor. Thus, where the A buffer
-agrees with the common ancestor, the B version is preferred, because
-chances are it is the one that was actually changed.
-
-These two states are displayed in the mode line as @samp{A*} and @samp{B*}.
-
-@item combined
-The difference is showing a combination of the A and B states, as a
-result of the @kbd{x c} or @kbd{x C} commands.
-
-Once a difference is in this state, the @kbd{a} and @kbd{b} commands
-don't do anything to it unless you give them a numeric argument.
-
-The mode line displays this state as @samp{comb}.
-@end table
-
-@node Merge Commands
-@subsection Merge Commands
-
- Here are the Merge commands for Fast mode; in Edit mode, precede them
-with @kbd{C-c C-c}:
-
-@table @kbd
-@item p
-Select the previous difference.
-
-@item n
-Select the next difference.
-
-@item a
-Choose the A version of this difference.
-
-@item b
-Choose the B version of this difference.
-
-@item C-u @var{n} j
-Select difference number @var{n}.
-
-@item .
-Select the difference containing point. You can use this command in the
-merge buffer or in the A or B buffer.
-
-@item q
-Quit---finish the merge.
-
-@item C-]
-Abort---exit merging and do not save the output.
-
-@item f
-Go into Fast mode. (In Edit mode, this is actually @kbd{C-c C-c f}.)
-
-@item e
-Go into Edit mode.
-
-@item l
-Recenter (like @kbd{C-l}) all three windows.
-
-@item -
-Specify part of a prefix numeric argument.
-
-@item @var{digit}
-Also specify part of a prefix numeric argument.
-
-@item d a
-Choose the A version as the default from here down in
-the merge buffer.
-
-@item d b
-Choose the B version as the default from here down in
-the merge buffer.
-
-@item c a
-Copy the A version of this difference into the kill ring.
-
-@item c b
-Copy the B version of this difference into the kill ring.
-
-@item i a
-Insert the A version of this difference at point.
-
-@item i b
-Insert the B version of this difference at point.
-
-@item m
-Put point and mark around the difference.
-
-@item ^
-Scroll all three windows down (like @kbd{M-v}).
-
-@item v
-Scroll all three windows up (like @kbd{C-v}).
-
-@item <
-Scroll all three windows left (like @kbd{C-x <}).
-
-@item >
-Scroll all three windows right (like @kbd{C-x >}).
-
-@item |
-Reset horizontal scroll on all three windows.
-
-@item x 1
-Shrink the merge window to one line. (Use @kbd{C-u l} to restore it
-to full size.)
-
-@item x c
-Combine the two versions of this difference (@pxref{Combining in
-Emerge}).
-
-@item x f
-Show the names of the files/buffers Emerge is operating on, in a Help
-window. (Use @kbd{C-u l} to restore windows.)
-
-@item x j
-Join this difference with the following one.
-(@kbd{C-u x j} joins this difference with the previous one.)
-
-@item x s
-Split this difference into two differences. Before you use this
-command, position point in each of the three buffers at the place where
-you want to split the difference.
-
-@item x t
-Trim identical lines off the top and bottom of the difference.
-Such lines occur when the A and B versions are
-identical but differ from the ancestor version.
-@end table
-
-@node Exiting Emerge
-@subsection Exiting Emerge
-
- The @kbd{q} command (@code{emerge-quit}) finishes the merge, storing
-the results into the output file if you specified one. It restores the
-A and B buffers to their proper contents, or kills them if they were
-created by Emerge and you haven't changed them. It also disables the
-Emerge commands in the merge buffer, since executing them later could
-damage the contents of the various buffers.
-
- @kbd{C-]} aborts the merge. This means exiting without writing the
-output file. If you didn't specify an output file, then there is no
-real difference between aborting and finishing the merge.
-
- If the Emerge command was called from another Lisp program, then its
-return value is @code{t} for successful completion, or @code{nil} if you
-abort.
-
-@node Combining in Emerge
-@subsection Combining the Two Versions
-
- Sometimes you want to keep @emph{both} alternatives for a particular
-difference. To do this, use @kbd{x c}, which edits the merge buffer
-like this:
-
-@example
-@group
-#ifdef NEW
-@var{version from A buffer}
-#else /* not NEW */
-@var{version from B buffer}
-#endif /* not NEW */
-@end group
-@end example
-
-@noindent
-@vindex emerge-combine-versions-template
-While this example shows C preprocessor conditionals delimiting the two
-alternative versions, you can specify the strings to use by setting
-the variable @code{emerge-combine-versions-template} to a string of your
-choice. In the string, @samp{%a} says where to put version A, and
-@samp{%b} says where to put version B. The default setting, which
-produces the results shown above, looks like this:
-
-@example
-@group
-"#ifdef NEW\n%a#else /* not NEW */\n%b#endif /* not NEW */\n"
-@end group
-@end example
-
-@node Fine Points of Emerge
-@subsection Fine Points of Emerge
-
- During the merge, you mustn't try to edit the A and B buffers yourself.
-Emerge modifies them temporarily, but ultimately puts them back the way
-they were.
-
- You can have any number of merges going at once---just don't use any one
-buffer as input to more than one merge at once, since the temporary
-changes made in these buffers would get in each other's way.
-
- Starting Emerge can take a long time because it needs to compare the
-files fully. Emacs can't do anything else until @code{diff} finishes.
-Perhaps in the future someone will change Emerge to do the comparison in
-the background when the input files are large---then you could keep on
-doing other things with Emacs until Emerge is ready to accept
-commands.
-
-@vindex emerge-startup-hook
- After setting up the merge, Emerge runs the hook
-@code{emerge-startup-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
+@ifnottex
+@include emerge-xtra.texi
+@end ifnottex
@ignore
arch-tag: b9d83dfb-82ea-4ff6-bab5-05a3617091fb