@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001,
-@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@iftex
@chapter Miscellaneous Commands
@file{~/.emacs_@var{shellname}} as input, if it exists, where
@var{shellname} is the name of the file that the shell was loaded
from. For example, if you use bash, the file sent to it is
-@file{~/.emacs_bash}.
+@file{~/.emacs_bash}. If this file is not found, Emacs tries to fallback
+on @file{~/.emacs.d/init_@var{shellname}.sh}.
To specify a coding system for the shell, you can use the command
@kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately before @kbd{M-x shell}. You can
@kbd{C-x @key{RET} p} in the shell buffer. @xref{Communication
Coding}.
+@cindex @env{INSIDE_EMACS} environment variable
+ Emacs sets the envitonment variable @env{INSIDE_EMACS} to @code{t}
+in the subshell. Programs can check this variable to determine
+whether they are running inside an Emacs subshell.
+
@cindex @env{EMACS} environment variable
- Unless the environment variable @env{EMACS} is already defined,
-Emacs defines it in the subshell, with value @code{t}. A shell script
-can check this variable to determine whether it has been run from an
-Emacs subshell.
+ Emacs also sets the @env{EMACS} environment variable to @code{t} if
+it is not already defined. @strong{Warning:} This environment
+variable is deprecated. Programs that check this variable should be
+changed to check @env{INSIDE_EMACS} instead.
@node Shell Mode
@subsection Shell Mode
@vindex comint-scroll-show-maximum-output
If @code{comint-scroll-show-maximum-output} is non-@code{nil}, then
-arrival of output when point is at the end tries to place the last line of
-text at the bottom line of the window, so as to show as much useful
+arrival of output when point is at the end tries to scroll the last
+line of text to the bottom line of the window, showing as much useful
text as possible. (This mimics the scrolling behavior of most
terminals.) The default is @code{t}.
@env{EDITOR} to @samp{emacs}, they invoke Emacs---but in an
inconvenient fashion, by starting a new, separate Emacs process. This
is inconvenient because it takes time and because the new Emacs process
-doesn't share the buffers in any existing Emacs process.
+doesn't share the buffers with any existing Emacs process.
You can arrange to use your existing Emacs process as the editor for
-programs like @code{mail} by using the Emacs client and Emacs server
-programs. Here is how.
+programs like @code{mail} by using the Emacs client program and the
+server that is part of Emacs. Here is how.
@cindex @env{TEXEDIT} environment variable
- First, the preparation. Within Emacs, call the function
-@code{server-start}. (Your @file{.emacs} file can do this automatically
-if you add the expression @code{(server-start)} to it.) Then, outside
-Emacs, set the @env{EDITOR} environment variable to @samp{emacsclient}.
-(Note that some programs use a different environment variable; for
-example, to make @TeX{} use @samp{emacsclient}, you should set the
-@env{TEXEDIT} environment variable to @samp{emacsclient +%d %s}.)
+@findex server-start
+ First, the preparations. Within Emacs, call the function
+@code{server-start}. (Your @file{.emacs} init file can do this
+automatically if you add the expression @code{(server-start)} to it,
+see @ref{Init File}.) Then, outside Emacs, set the @env{EDITOR}
+environment variable to @samp{emacsclient}. (Note that some programs
+use a different environment variable; for example, to make @TeX{} use
+@samp{emacsclient}, you should set the @env{TEXEDIT} environment
+variable to @samp{emacsclient +%d %s}.)
+
+@pindex emacs.bash
+@cindex Bash command to use Emacs server
+ As an alternative to using @code{emacsclient}, the file
+@file{etc/emacs.bash} defines a Bash command @code{edit} which will
+communicate with a running Emacs session, or start one if none exist.
@kindex C-x #
@findex server-edit
- Then, whenever any program invokes your specified @env{EDITOR}
+ Now, whenever any program invokes your specified @env{EDITOR}
program, the effect is to send a message to your principal Emacs telling
it to visit a file. (That's what the program @code{emacsclient} does.)
Emacs displays the buffer immediately and you can immediately begin
-editing it.
+editing it in the already running Emacs session.
When you've finished editing that buffer, type @kbd{C-x #}
(@code{server-edit}). This saves the file and sends a message back to
each one a unique ``server name'', using the variable
@code{server-name}. For example, @kbd{M-x set-variable @key{RET}
server-name @key{RET} foo @key{RET}} sets the server name to
-@samp{foo}. The @code{emacsclient} program can visit a server by name
-using the @samp{-s} option. @xref{Invoking emacsclient}.
+@samp{foo}. The @code{emacsclient} program can specify a server by
+name using the @samp{-s} option. @xref{Invoking emacsclient}.
While @code{mail} or another application is waiting for
@code{emacsclient} to finish, @code{emacsclient} does not read terminal
@node Invoking emacsclient,, Emacs Server, Emacs Server
@subsection Invoking @code{emacsclient}
+@cindex @code{emacsclient} invocation and options
To run the @code{emacsclient} program, specify file names as arguments,
and optionally line numbers as well, like this:
@code{emacsclient}, then it returns immediately. (You can take as
long as you like to edit the files in Emacs.)
- The option @samp{--alternate-editor=@var{command}} specifies a
-command to run if @code{emacsclient} fails to contact Emacs. This is
-useful when running @code{emacsclient} in a script. For example, the
-following setting for the @env{EDITOR} environment variable will
-always give you an editor, even if no Emacs server is running:
+ The option @samp{-a @var{command}} or
+@samp{--alternate-editor=@var{command}} specifies a command to run if
+@code{emacsclient} fails to contact Emacs. This is useful when
+running @code{emacsclient} in a script. For example, the following
+setting for the @env{EDITOR} environment variable will always give you
+an editor, even if no Emacs server is running:
@example
EDITOR="emacsclient --alternate-editor emacs +%d %s"
@end example
@noindent
+@cindex @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} environment variable
The environment variable @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} has the same effect, with
the value of the @samp{--alternate-editor} option taking precedence.
-@pindex emacs.bash
- Alternatively, the file @file{etc/emacs.bash} defines a bash
-function which will communicate with a running Emacs server, or start
-one if none exists.
-
If you use several displays, you can tell Emacs on which display to
-open the given files with the option @samp{--display=@var{DISPLAY}}.
-This can be used typically when connecting from home to an Emacs
-server running on your machine at your workplace.
+open the given files with the @samp{-d @var{display}} or
+@samp{--display=@var{display}} option to @code{emacsclient}. This is
+handy when connecting from home to an Emacs session running on your
+machine at your workplace.
If there is more than one Emacs server running, you can specify a
-server name with the option @samp{-s @var{name}}.
+server name with the @samp{-s @var{name}} or
+@samp{--socket-name=@var{name}} option to @code{emacsclient}. (This
+option is not supported on MS-Windows.)
You can also use @code{emacsclient} to execute any piece of Emacs Lisp
-code, using the option @samp{--eval}. When this option is given, the
-rest of the arguments is not taken as a list of files to visit but as
-a list of expressions to evaluate.
+code, using the @samp{-e} or @samp{--eval} option. When this option
+is given, the rest of the arguments is interpreted as a list of
+expressions to evaluate, not a list of files to visit.
+
+@cindex @env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable
+When you start the Emacs server (by calling @code{server-start}),
+Emacs creates a file with information about TCP connection to the
+server: the host where Emacs is running, the port where it is
+listening, and an authentication string. @code{emacsclient} uses this
+information if it needs to connect to the server via TCP. By default,
+the file goes in the @file{~/.emacs.d/server/} directory@footnote{On
+MS-Windows, if @env{HOME} is not set or the TCP configuration file
+cannot be found there, Emacs also looks for the file in the
+@file{.emacs.d/server/} subdirectory of the directory pointed to by
+the @env{APPDATA} environment variable.}. You can specify the file
+name to use with the @samp{-f @var{file}} or
+@samp{--server-file=@var{file}} options, or by setting
+@env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable to the file name.
@node Printing, Sorting, Emacs Server, Top
@section Printing Hard Copies
@findex desktop-save
@vindex desktop-save-mode
You can save the desktop manually with the command @kbd{M-x
-desktop-save}. You can also enable automatic desktop saving when
-you exit Emacs and its restoring when Emacs starts: use the
-Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy Customization}) to set
-@code{desktop-save-mode} to @code{t} for future sessions, or add this
-line in your @file{~/.emacs} file:
+desktop-save}. You can also enable automatic saving of the desktop
+when you exit Emacs, and automatic restoration of the last saved
+desktop when Emacs starts: use the Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy
+Customization}) to set @code{desktop-save-mode} to @code{t} for future
+sessions, or add this line in your @file{~/.emacs} file:
@example
(desktop-save-mode 1)