@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1990-1995, 1998-1999, 2001-2012
-@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1990-1995, 1998-1999, 2001-2015 Free Software
+@c Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
@node Syntax Tables
@chapter Syntax Tables
The first character in a syntax descriptor must be a syntax class
designator character. The second character, if present, specifies a
-matching character (e.g.@: in Lisp, the matching character for
+matching character (e.g., in Lisp, the matching character for
@samp{(} is @samp{)}); a space specifies that there is no matching
character. Then come characters specifying additional syntax
properties (@pxref{Syntax Flags}).
@node Syntax Class Table
@subsection Table of Syntax Classes
+@cindex syntax class table
Here is a table of syntax classes, the characters that designate
them, their meanings, and examples of their use.
comment delimiter, @samp{n} on either character makes it
nestable.
+@cindex comment style
Emacs supports several comment styles simultaneously in any one syntax
table. A comment style is a set of flags @samp{b}, @samp{c}, and
@samp{n}, so there can be up to 8 different comment styles.
otherwise, the parent is the standard syntax table.
In the new syntax table, all characters are initially given the
-``inherit'' (@samp{@@}) syntax class, i.e.@: their syntax is inherited
+``inherit'' (@samp{@@}) syntax class, i.e., their syntax is inherited
from the parent table (@pxref{Syntax Class Table}).
@end defun
@end defun
@deffn Command modify-syntax-entry char syntax-descriptor &optional table
+@cindex syntax entry, setting
This function sets the syntax entry for @var{char} according to
@var{syntax-descriptor}. @var{char} must be a character, or a cons
cell of the form @code{(@var{min} . @var{max})}; in the latter case,
The syntax is changed only for @var{table}, which defaults to the
current buffer's syntax table, and not in any other syntax table.
-The argument @var{syntax-descriptor} is a syntax descriptor, i.e.@: a
+The argument @var{syntax-descriptor} is a syntax descriptor, i.e., a
string whose first character is a syntax class designator and whose
second and subsequent characters optionally specify a matching
character and syntax flags. @xref{Syntax Descriptors}. An error is
@end group
@group
-;; Forward slash characters have punctuation syntax. Note that this
-;; @code{char-syntax} call does not reveal that it is also part of
-;; comment-start and -end sequences.
+;; Forward slash characters have punctuation syntax.
+;; Note that this @code{char-syntax} call does not reveal
+;; that it is also part of comment-start and -end sequences.
(string (char-syntax ?/))
@result{} "."
@end group
@group
-;; Open parenthesis characters have open parenthesis syntax. Note
-;; that this @code{char-syntax} call does not reveal that it has a
-;; matching character, @samp{)}.
+;; Open parenthesis characters have open parenthesis syntax.
+;; Note that this @code{char-syntax} call does not reveal that
+;; it has a matching character, @samp{)}.
(string (char-syntax ?\())
@result{} "("
@end group
the current buffer.
@end defun
-@defmac with-syntax-table @var{table} @var{body}@dots{}
+@deffn Command describe-syntax &optional buffer
+This command displays the contents of the syntax table of
+@var{buffer} (by default, the current buffer) in a help buffer.
+@end deffn
+
+@defmac with-syntax-table table body@dots{}
This macro executes @var{body} using @var{table} as the current syntax
table. It returns the value of the last form in @var{body}, after
restoring the old current syntax table.
@node Motion and Syntax
@section Motion and Syntax
+@cindex moving across syntax classes
+@cindex skipping characters of certain syntax
This section describes functions for moving across characters that
have certain syntax classes.
@node Parsing Expressions
@section Parsing Expressions
+@cindex parsing expressions
+@cindex scanning expressions
This section describes functions for parsing and scanning balanced
expressions. We will refer to such expressions as @dfn{sexps},
following the terminology of Lisp, even though these functions can act
on languages other than Lisp. Basically, a sexp is either a balanced
-parenthetical grouping, a string, or a ``symbol'' (i.e.@: a sequence
+parenthetical grouping, a string, or a ``symbol'' (i.e., a sequence
of characters whose syntax is either word constituent or symbol
constituent). However, characters in the expression prefix syntax
class (@pxref{Syntax Class Table}) are treated as part of the sexp if
@node Motion via Parsing
@subsection Motion Commands Based on Parsing
+@cindex motion based on parsing
This section describes simple point-motion functions that operate
based on parsing expressions.
@node Position Parse
@subsection Finding the Parse State for a Position
+@cindex parse state for a position
For syntactic analysis, such as in indentation, often the useful
thing is to compute the syntactic state corresponding to a given buffer
@node Control Parsing
@subsection Parameters to Control Parsing
+@cindex parsing, control parameters
@defvar multibyte-syntax-as-symbol
If this variable is non-@code{nil}, @code{scan-sexps} treats all
@samp{4} @tab @code{(lsh 1 19)}
@end multitable
-@defun string-to-syntax @var{desc}
+@defun string-to-syntax desc
Given a syntax descriptor @var{desc} (a string), this function returns
the corresponding raw syntax descriptor.
@end defun
the range @w{@samp{ }} to @samp{~}. You specify the name of a category
when you define it with @code{define-category}.
+@cindex category set
The category table is actually a char-table (@pxref{Char-Tables}).
The element of the category table at index @var{c} is a @dfn{category
set}---a bool-vector---that indicates which categories character @var{c}