@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
-@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../info/positions
@node Positions, Markers, Frames, Top
Positions are usually represented as integers starting from 1, but can
also be represented as @dfn{markers}---special objects that relocate
automatically when text is inserted or deleted so they stay with the
-surrounding characters. @xref{Markers}.
+surrounding characters. Functions that expect an argument to be a
+position (an integer), but accept a marker as a substitute, normally
+ignore the marker buffer. Of course, markers used this way usually
+point to a position in the buffer that the function operates on, but
+that is entirely the programmer's responsibility. @xref{Markers}.
See also the ``field'' feature (@pxref{Fields}), which provides
-functions that are used by many cursur-motion commands.
+functions that are used by many cursor-motion commands.
@menu
* Point:: The special position where editing takes place.
@end defun
@defun buffer-end flag
-This function returns @code{(point-min)} if @var{flag} is less than 1,
-@code{(point-max)} otherwise. The argument @var{flag} must be a number.
+This function returns @code{(point-max)} if @var{flag} is greater than
+0, @code{(point-min)} otherwise. The argument @var{flag} must be a
+number.
@end defun
@defun buffer-size &optional buffer
These functions for parsing words use the syntax table to decide
whether a given character is part of a word. @xref{Syntax Tables}.
-@deffn Command forward-word count
+@deffn Command forward-word &optional count
This function moves point forward @var{count} words (or backward if
@var{count} is negative). ``Moving one word'' means moving until point
crosses a word-constituent character and then encounters a
this function ignores field boundaries.
In an interactive call, @var{count} is specified by the numeric prefix
-argument.
+argument. If @var{count} is omitted or @code{nil}, it defaults to 1.
@end deffn
-@deffn Command backward-word count
+@deffn Command backward-word &optional count
This function is just like @code{forward-word}, except that it moves
backward until encountering the front of a word, rather than forward.
-
-In an interactive call, @var{count} is set to the numeric prefix
-argument.
-
-@c [Now optimized by compiler.]
-@c This function is rarely used in programs, as it is more efficient to
-@c call @code{forward-word} with a negative argument.
@end deffn
@defvar words-include-escapes
argument @var{count} not @code{nil} or 1, it moves forward
@var{count}@minus{}1 lines and then to the beginning of the line.
-This command does not move point across a field boundary
+This function does not move point across a field boundary
(@pxref{Fields}) unless doing so would move beyond there to a
-different line; if @var{count} is @code{nil} or 1, and point starts at
-a field boundary, point does not move. To ignore field boundaries,
-use the @code{forward-line} function instead. For instance,
-@code{(forward-line 0)} does the same thing as
+different line; therefore, if @var{count} is @code{nil} or 1, and
+point starts at a field boundary, point does not move. To ignore
+field boundaries, either bind @code{inhibit-field-text-motion} to
+@code{t}, or use the @code{forward-line} function instead. For
+instance, @code{(forward-line 0)} does the same thing as
@code{(beginning-of-line)}, except that it ignores field boundaries.
If this function reaches the end of the buffer (or of the accessible
argument @var{count} not @code{nil} or 1, it moves forward
@var{count}@minus{}1 lines and then to the end of the line.
-This command does not move point across a field boundary
+This function does not move point across a field boundary
(@pxref{Fields}) unless doing so would move beyond there to a
-different line; if @var{count} is @code{nil} or 1, and point starts at
-a field boundary, point does not move.
+different line; therefore, if @var{count} is @code{nil} or 1, and
+point starts at a field boundary, point does not move. To ignore
+field boundaries, bind @code{inhibit-field-text-motion} to @code{t}.
If this function reaches the end of the buffer (or of the accessible
portion, if narrowing is in effect), it positions point there. No error
The return value is a list of five elements:
@example
-(@var{pos} @var{vpos} @var{hpos} @var{prevhpos} @var{contin})
+(@var{pos} @var{hpos} @var{vpos} @var{prevhpos} @var{contin})
@end example
@noindent
@node List Motion
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
-@subsection Moving over Balanced Expressions
+@subsection Moving over Balanced Expressions
@cindex sexp motion
@cindex Lisp expression motion
@cindex list motion
them in Emacs). The syntax table controls how these functions interpret
various characters; see @ref{Syntax Tables}. @xref{Parsing
Expressions}, for lower-level primitives for scanning sexps or parts of
-sexps. For user-level commands, see @ref{Lists Commands,,, emacs, The GNU
-Emacs Manual}.
+sexps. For user-level commands, see @ref{Parentheses,, Commands for
+Editing with Parentheses, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
@deffn Command forward-list &optional arg
This function moves forward across @var{arg} (default 1) balanced groups of
@end deffn
@deffn Command down-list &optional arg
-This function moves forward into @var{arg} (default 1) levels of parentheses. A
-negative argument means move backward but still go
+This function moves forward into @var{arg} (default 1) levels of
+parentheses. A negative argument means move backward but still go
deeper in parentheses (@minus{}@var{arg} levels).
@end deffn
This function moves backward across @var{arg} (default 1) balanced expressions.
@end deffn
-@deffn Command beginning-of-defun arg
+@deffn Command beginning-of-defun &optional arg
This function moves back to the @var{arg}th beginning of a defun. If
@var{arg} is negative, this actually moves forward, but it still moves
to the beginning of a defun, not to the end of one.
@end deffn
-@deffn Command end-of-defun arg
+@deffn Command end-of-defun &optional arg
This function moves forward to the @var{arg}th end of a defun. If
@var{arg} is negative, this actually moves backward, but it still moves
to the end of a defun, not to the beginning of one.
characters. For example, they are often used to skip whitespace. For
related functions, see @ref{Motion and Syntax}.
+These functions convert the set string to multibyte if the buffer is
+multibyte, and they convert it to unibyte if the buffer is unibyte, as
+the search functions do (@pxref{Searching and Matching}).
+
@defun skip-chars-forward character-set &optional limit
This function moves point in the current buffer forward, skipping over a
given set of characters. It examines the character following point,
---------- Buffer: foo ----------
@end group
@end example
+
+Note that char classes are not currently supported in
+@var{character-set}; they will be treated as literals. Thus you
+cannot use @code{"[:alpha:]"} instead of @code{"a-zA-Z"} to include
+non-@acronym{ASCII} letters. A way to skip forward over all letters is:
+
+@example
+(re-search-forward "\\=[[:alpha:]]*" nil t)
+@end example
@end defun
@defun skip-chars-backward character-set &optional limit
@strong{Warning:} Ordinary insertion of text adjacent to the saved
point value relocates the saved value, just as it relocates all markers.
-Therefore, when the saved point value is restored, it normally comes
-before the inserted text.
+More precisely, the saved value is a marker with insertion type
+@code{nil}. @xref{Marker Insertion Types}. Therefore, when the saved
+point value is restored, it normally comes before the inserted text.
Although @code{save-excursion} saves the location of the mark, it does
not prevent functions which modify the buffer from setting
of the current region (point and the mark, with the smallest first).
@end deffn
-@deffn Command narrow-to-page move-count
+@deffn Command narrow-to-page &optional move-count
This function sets the accessible portion of the current buffer to
include just the current page. An optional first argument
@var{move-count} non-@code{nil} means to move forward or backward by
@end group
@end example
@end defspec
+
+@ignore
+ arch-tag: 56e8ff26-4ffe-4832-a141-7e991a2d0f87
+@end ignore