@var{mode-function}, Emacs discards the suffix that matched
@var{regexp} and searches the list again for another match.
+@vindex magic-mode-alist
+ Sometimes the major mode is determined from the way the file's text
+begins. The variable @code{magic-mode-alist} controls this. Its value
+is a list of elements of this form:
+
+@example
+(@var{regexp} . @var{mode-function})
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+This looks like an element of @code{auto-mode-alist}, but it doesn't work
+the same: this @var{regexp} is matched against the text at the start
+of the buffer, not against the file name. @code{magic-mode-alist}
+takes priority over @code{auto-mode-alist}.
+
You can specify the major mode to use for editing a certain file by
special text in the first nonblank line of the file. The
mode name should appear in this line both preceded and followed by
mode Emacs would choose automatically: use the command @kbd{M-x
normal-mode} to do this. This is the same function that
@code{find-file} calls to choose the major mode. It also processes
-the file's local variables list (if any).
+the file's @samp{-*-} line or local variables list (if any).
+@xref{File Variables}.
@vindex change-major-mode-with-file-name
The commands @kbd{C-x C-w} and @code{set-visited-file-name} change to