abbrev table. Normally both are used.
An abbrev table is represented as an obarray containing a symbol for
-each abbreviation. The symbol's name is the abbreviation. Its value is
+each abbreviation. The symbol's name is the abbreviation; its value is
the expansion; its function definition is the hook function to do the
-expansion (if any); its property list cell contains the use count, the
-number of times the abbreviation has been expanded. Because these
-symbols are not interned in the usual obarray, they will never appear as
-the result of reading a Lisp expression; in fact, normally they are
-never used except by the code that handles abbrevs. Therefore, it is
-safe to use them in an extremely nonstandard way. @xref{Creating
-Symbols}.
+expansion (@pxref{Defining Abbrevs}); its property list cell contains
+the use count, the number of times the abbreviation has been expanded.
+Because these symbols are not interned in the usual obarray, they will
+never appear as the result of reading a Lisp expression; in fact,
+normally they are never used except by the code that handles abbrevs.
+Therefore, it is safe to use them in an extremely nonstandard way.
+@xref{Creating Symbols}.
For the user-level commands for abbrevs, see @ref{Abbrevs,, Abbrev
Mode, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
If the value is @code{nil}, abbrevs may be defined, but they are not
expanded automatically.
-This variable automatically becomes local when set in any fashion.
+This variable automatically becomes buffer-local when set in any fashion.
@end defvar
@defvar default-abbrev-mode
-This is the value @code{abbrev-mode} for buffers that do not override it.
+This is the value of @code{abbrev-mode} for buffers that do not override it.
This is the same as @code{(default-value 'abbrev-mode)}.
@end defvar
i.e., as a variable whose value is an abbrev table. It defines abbrevs
in the table according to @var{definitions}, a list of elements of the
form @code{(@var{abbrevname} @var{expansion} @var{hook}
-@var{usecount})}. The value is always @code{nil}.
+@var{usecount})}. The return value is always @code{nil}.
@end defun
@defvar abbrev-table-name-list
@defun insert-abbrev-table-description name &optional human
This function inserts before point a description of the abbrev table
named @var{name}. The argument @var{name} is a symbol whose value is an
-abbrev table. The value is always @code{nil}.
+abbrev table. The return value is always @code{nil}.
If @var{human} is non-@code{nil}, the description is human-oriented.
Otherwise the description is a Lisp expression---a call to
-@code{define-abbrev-table} which would define @var{name} exactly as it
+@code{define-abbrev-table} that would define @var{name} exactly as it
is currently defined.
@end defun
user.
@defun add-abbrev table type arg
-This function adds an abbreviation to abbrev table @var{table}. The
-argument @var{type} is a string describing in English the kind of abbrev
-this will be (typically, @code{"global"} or @code{"mode-specific"});
-this is used in prompting the user. The argument @var{arg} is the
-number of words in the expansion.
+This function adds an abbreviation to abbrev table @var{table} based on
+information from the user. The argument @var{type} is a string
+describing in English the kind of abbrev this will be (typically,
+@code{"global"} or @code{"mode-specific"}); this is used in prompting
+the user. The argument @var{arg} is the number of words in the
+expansion.
-The return value is the symbol which internally represents the new
+The return value is the symbol that internally represents the new
abbrev, or @code{nil} if the user declines to confirm redefining an
existing abbrev.
@end defun
@defun define-abbrev table name expansion hook
-This function defines an abbrev in @var{table} named @var{name}, to
-expand to @var{expansion}, and call @var{hook}. The return value is an
-uninterned symbol which represents the abbrev inside Emacs; its name is
-@var{name}.
+This function defines an abbrev named @var{name}, in @var{table}, to
+expand to @var{expansion} and call @var{hook}. The return value is a
+symbol that represents the abbrev inside Emacs; its name is @var{name}.
The argument @var{name} should be a string. The argument
-@var{expansion} should be a string, or @code{nil}, to undefine the
-abbrev.
+@var{expansion} is normally the desired expansion (a string), or
+@code{nil} to undefine the abbrev. If it is anything but a string or
+@code{nil}, then the abbreviation ``expands'' solely by running
+@var{hook}.
The argument @var{hook} is a function or @code{nil}. If @var{hook} is
non-@code{nil}, then it is called with no arguments after the abbrev is
replaced with @var{expansion}; point is located at the end of
-@var{expansion}.
+@var{expansion} when @var{hook} is called.
The use count of the abbrev is initialized to zero.
@end defun
If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it means that the user plans to use
global abbrevs only. This tells the commands that define mode-specific
abbrevs to define global ones instead. This variable does not alter the
-functioning of the functions in this section; it is examined by their
+behavior of the functions in this section; it is examined by their
callers.
@end defopt
@deffn Command write-abbrev-file filename
Save all abbrev definitions, in all abbrev tables, in the file
-@var{filename}, in the form of a Lisp program which when loaded will
+@var{filename}, in the form of a Lisp program that when loaded will
define the same abbrevs. This function returns @code{nil}.
@end deffn
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@section Looking Up and Expanding Abbreviations
- Abbrevs are usually expanded by commands for interactive use,
+ Abbrevs are usually expanded by certain interactive commands,
including @code{self-insert-command}. This section describes the
-subroutines used in writing such functions, as well as the variables
-they use for communication.
+subroutines used in writing such commands, as well as the variables they
+use for communication.
@defun abbrev-symbol abbrev &optional table
This function returns the symbol representing the abbrev named
abbrev table.
@end defun
+@defun abbrev-expansion abbrev &optional table
+This function returns the string that @var{abbrev} would expand into (as
+defined by the abbrev tables used for the current buffer). The optional
+argument @var{table} specifies the abbrev table to use, as in
+@code{abbrev-symbol}.
+@end defun
+
+@deffn Command expand-abbrev
+This command expands the abbrev before point, if any.
+If point does not follow an abbrev, this command does nothing.
+The command returns @code{t} if it did expansion, @code{nil} otherwise.
+@end deffn
+
+@deffn Command abbrev-prefix-mark &optional arg
+Mark current point as the beginning of an abbrev. The next call to
+@code{expand-abbrev} will use the text from here to point (where it is
+then) as the abbrev to expand, rather than using the previous word as
+usual.
+@end deffn
+
@defopt abbrev-all-caps
When this is set non-@code{nil}, an abbrev entered entirely in upper
case is expanded using all upper case. Otherwise, an abbrev entered
expansion.
@end defopt
-@defun abbrev-expansion abbrev &optional table
-This function returns the string that @var{abbrev} would expand into (as
-defined by the abbrev tables used for the current buffer). The optional
-argument @var{table} specifies the abbrev table to use; if it is
-specified, the abbrev is looked up in that table only.
-@end defun
-
@defvar abbrev-start-location
This is the buffer position for @code{expand-abbrev} to use as the start
of the next abbrev to be expanded. (@code{nil} means use the word
@end defvar
@defvar last-abbrev
-This is the @code{abbrev-symbol} of the last abbrev expanded. This
+This is the @code{abbrev-symbol} of the most recent abbrev expanded. This
information is left by @code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the
-@code{unexpand-abbrev} command.
+@code{unexpand-abbrev} command (@pxref{Expanding Abbrevs,, Expanding
+Abbrevs, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
@end defvar
@defvar last-abbrev-location
-This is the location of the last abbrev expanded. This contains
+This is the location of the most recent abbrev expanded. This contains
information left by @code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the
@code{unexpand-abbrev} command.
@end defvar
@defvar last-abbrev-text
-This is the exact expansion text of the last abbrev expanded, as
-results from case conversion. Its value is
-@code{nil} if the abbrev has already been unexpanded. This
-contains information left by @code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the
-@code{unexpand-abbrev} command.
+This is the exact expansion text of the most recent abbrev expanded,
+after case conversion (if any). Its value is @code{nil} if the abbrev
+has already been unexpanded. This contains information left by
+@code{expand-abbrev} for the sake of the @code{unexpand-abbrev} command.
@end defvar
@c Emacs 19 feature
;; @r{user entered some other character, this function asks whether}
;; @r{expansion should continue.}
-;; @r{If the user enters the prompt with @kbd{y}, the function returns}
+;; @r{If the user answers the prompt with @kbd{y}, the function returns}
;; @r{@code{nil} (because of the @code{not} function), but that is}
;; @r{acceptable; the return value has no effect on expansion.}
@end defvar
@defvar fundamental-mode-abbrev-table
-This is the local abbrev table used in Fundamental mode. It is the
-local abbrev table in all buffers in Fundamental mode.
+This is the local abbrev table used in Fundamental mode; in other words,
+it is the local abbrev table in all buffers in Fundamental mode.
@end defvar
@defvar text-mode-abbrev-table
This is the local abbrev table used in Text mode.
@end defvar
-@defvar c-mode-abbrev-table
-This is the local abbrev table used in C mode.
-@end defvar
-
@defvar lisp-mode-abbrev-table
This is the local abbrev table used in Lisp mode and Emacs Lisp mode.
@end defvar