@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999
-@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000
+@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file elisp.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../info/keymaps
@node Keymaps, Modes, Command Loop, Top
A keymap is a list whose @sc{car} is the symbol @code{keymap}. The
remaining elements of the list define the key bindings of the keymap.
-Use the function @code{keymapp} (see below) to test whether an object is
-a keymap.
+A symbol whose function definition is a keymap is also a keymap. Use
+the function @code{keymapp} (see below) to test whether an object is a
+keymap.
Several kinds of elements may appear in a keymap, after the symbol
@code{keymap} that begins it:
called a @dfn{full keymap}. Other keymaps are called @dfn{sparse
keymaps}.
+A @code{nil} binding is used to mean that a key is explicitly not bound.
+Just like any other binding, it takes precedence over a default binding
+or a binding in the parent keymap, but on the other hand, it does not
+take precedence over keymaps of lower priority.
+
When a keymap contains a vector, it always defines a binding for each
@sc{ascii} character, even if the vector contains @code{nil} for that
character. Such a binding of @code{nil} overrides any default key
@cindex prompt string of keymap
Aside from bindings, a keymap can also have a string as an element.
This is called the @dfn{overall prompt string} and makes it possible to
-use the keymap as a menu. @xref{Menu Keymaps}.
+use the keymap as a menu. @xref{Defining Menus}.
@end table
@cindex meta characters lookup
Keymaps do not directly record bindings for the meta characters.
-Instead, meta characters are regarded for
-purposes of key lookup as sequences of two characters, the first of
-which is @key{ESC} (or whatever is currently the value of
-@code{meta-prefix-char}). Thus, the key @kbd{M-a} is really represented
-as @kbd{@key{ESC} a}, and its global binding is found at the slot for
-@kbd{a} in @code{esc-map} (@pxref{Prefix Keys}).
+Instead, meta characters are regarded for purposes of key lookup as
+sequences of two characters, the first of which is @key{ESC} (or
+whatever is currently the value of @code{meta-prefix-char}). Thus, the
+key @kbd{M-a} is internally represented as @kbd{@key{ESC} a}, and its
+global binding is found at the slot for @kbd{a} in @code{esc-map}
+(@pxref{Prefix Keys}).
+
+ This conversion applies only to characters, not to function keys or
+other input events; thus, @kbd{M-@key{end}} has nothing to do with
+@kbd{@key{ESC} @key{end}}.
Here as an example is the local keymap for Lisp mode, a sparse
keymap. It defines bindings for @key{DEL} and @key{TAB}, plus @kbd{C-c
@example
@group
lisp-mode-map
-@result{}
+@result{}
@end group
@group
-(keymap
+(keymap
;; @key{TAB}
- (9 . lisp-indent-line)
+ (9 . lisp-indent-line)
@end group
@group
;; @key{DEL}
- (127 . backward-delete-char-untabify)
+ (127 . backward-delete-char-untabify)
@end group
@group
- (3 keymap
+ (3 keymap
;; @kbd{C-c C-l}
- (12 . run-lisp))
+ (12 . run-lisp))
@end group
@group
- (27 keymap
+ (27 keymap
;; @r{@kbd{M-C-q}, treated as @kbd{@key{ESC} C-q}}
- (17 . indent-sexp)
+ (17 . indent-sexp)
;; @r{@kbd{M-C-x}, treated as @kbd{@key{ESC} C-x}}
- (24 . lisp-send-defun)))
+ (24 . lisp-send-defun)))
@end group
@end example
@defun keymapp object
This function returns @code{t} if @var{object} is a keymap, @code{nil}
otherwise. More precisely, this function tests for a list whose
-@sc{car} is @code{keymap}.
+@sc{car} is @code{keymap}, or for a symbol whose function definition
+satisfies @code{keymapp}.
@example
@group
@result{} t
@end group
@group
+(fset 'foo '(keymap))
+(keymapp 'foo)
+ @result{} t
+@end group
+@group
(keymapp (current-global-map))
@result{} t
@end group
@c ??? This should come after make-sparse-keymap
@defun make-keymap &optional prompt
-This function creates and returns a new full keymap (i.e., one
-containing a vector of length 128 for defining all the @sc{ascii}
-characters). The new keymap initially binds all @sc{ascii} characters
-to @code{nil}, and does not bind any other kind of event.
+This function creates and returns a new full keymap. That keymap
+contains a char-table (@pxref{Char-Tables}) with 384 slots: the first
+128 slots are for defining all the @sc{ascii} characters, the next 128
+slots are for 8-bit European characters, and each one of the final 128
+slots is for one character set of non-@sc{ascii} characters supported by
+Emacs. The new keymap initially binds all these characters to
+@code{nil}, and does not bind any other kind of event.
@example
@group
@end example
If you specify @var{prompt}, that becomes the overall prompt string for
-the keymap. The prompt string is useful for menu keymaps (@pxref{Menu
-Keymaps}).
+the keymap. The prompt string should be provided for menu keymaps
+(@pxref{Defining Menus}).
@end defun
@defun make-sparse-keymap &optional prompt
This function creates and returns a new sparse keymap with no entries.
-The new keymap does not bind any events. The argument @var{prompt}
-specifies a prompt string, as in @code{make-keymap}.
+The new keymap does not contain a char-table, unlike @code{make-keymap},
+and does not bind any events. The argument @var{prompt} specifies a
+prompt string, as in @code{make-keymap}.
@example
@group
@end group
@group
;; @r{(This implements meta characters.)}
- (27 keymap
+ (27 keymap
(83 . center-paragraph)
(115 . center-line))
(9 . tab-to-tab-stop))
prefix keys.
@end defun
-Here is an example showing how to make a keymap that inherits
+ Here is an example showing how to make a keymap that inherits
from @code{text-mode-map}:
@example
map)
@end example
+ A non-sparse keymap can have a parent too, but this is not very
+useful. A non-sparse keymap always specifies something as the binding
+for every numeric character code without modifier bits, even if it is
+@code{nil}, so these character's bindings are never inherited from
+the parent keymap.
+
@node Prefix Keys
@section Prefix Keys
@cindex prefix key
@defun define-prefix-command symbol &optional mapvar prompt
@cindex prefix command
This function prepares @var{symbol} for use as a prefix key's binding:
-it creates a full keymap and stores it as @var{symbol}'s function
+it creates a sparse keymap and stores it as @var{symbol}'s function
definition. Subsequently binding a key sequence to @var{symbol} will
make that key sequence into a prefix key. The return value is @code{symbol}.
as a variable instead.
If @var{prompt} is non-@code{nil}, that becomes the overall prompt
-string for the keymap. The prompt string is useful for menu keymaps
-(@pxref{Menu Keymaps}).
+string for the keymap. The prompt string should be given for menu keymaps
+(@pxref{Defining Menus}).
@end defun
@node Active Keymaps
when the minor mode is enabled.
The variable @code{overriding-local-map}, if non-@code{nil}, specifies
-another local keymap that overrides the buffer's local map and all the
+another local keymap that overrides the buffer's local map and all the
minor mode keymaps.
All the active keymaps are used together to determine what command to
@example
@group
(current-global-map)
-@result{} (keymap [set-mark-command beginning-of-line @dots{}
+@result{} (keymap [set-mark-command beginning-of-line @dots{}
delete-backward-char])
@end group
@end example
@example
@group
(current-local-map)
-@result{} (keymap
- (10 . eval-print-last-sexp)
- (9 . lisp-indent-line)
- (127 . backward-delete-char-untabify)
+@result{} (keymap
+ (10 . eval-print-last-sexp)
+ (9 . lisp-indent-line)
+ (127 . backward-delete-char-untabify)
@end group
@group
- (27 keymap
- (24 . eval-defun)
+ (27 keymap
+ (24 . eval-defun)
(17 . indent-sexp)))
@end group
@end example
you explicitly ask about them. (To do this, supply @code{t} as an
element of @var{key}; see @ref{Format of Keymaps}.)
-If @var{key} contains a meta character, that character is implicitly
-replaced by a two-character sequence: the value of
-@code{meta-prefix-char}, followed by the corresponding non-meta
+If @var{key} contains a meta character (not a function key), that
+character is implicitly replaced by a two-character sequence: the value
+of @code{meta-prefix-char}, followed by the corresponding non-meta
character. Thus, the first example below is handled by conversion into
the second example.
event (@pxref{Prefix Keys}). The default value is 27, which is the
@sc{ascii} code for @key{ESC}.
-As long as the value of @code{meta-prefix-char} remains 27, key
-lookup translates @kbd{M-b} into @kbd{@key{ESC} b}, which is normally
-defined as the @code{backward-word} command. However, if you set
+As long as the value of @code{meta-prefix-char} remains 27, key lookup
+translates @kbd{M-b} into @kbd{@key{ESC} b}, which is normally defined
+as the @code{backward-word} command. However, if you were to set
@code{meta-prefix-char} to 24, the code for @kbd{C-x}, then Emacs will
translate @kbd{M-b} into @kbd{C-x b}, whose standard binding is the
-@code{switch-to-buffer} command. Here is an illustration:
+@code{switch-to-buffer} command. (Don't actually do this!) Here is an
+illustration of what would happen:
@smallexample
@group
@end group
@group
(setq meta-prefix-char 24)
- @result{} 24
+ @result{} 24
@end group
@group
(key-binding "\M-b")
@result{} 27 ; @r{Restore the default value!}
@end group
@end smallexample
+
+This translation of one event into two happens only for characters, not
+for other kinds of input events. Thus, @kbd{M-@key{F1}}, a function
+key, is not converted into @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{F1}}.
@end defvar
@node Changing Key Bindings
meaningful. (For a list of meaningful types, see @ref{Key Lookup}.)
The value returned by @code{define-key} is @var{binding}.
+If @var{key} is @code{[t]}, this sets the default binding in
+@var{keymap}. When an event has no binding of its own, the Emacs
+command loop uses the keymap's default binding, if there is one.
+
@cindex invalid prefix key error
@cindex key sequence error
Every prefix of @var{key} must be a prefix key (i.e., bound to a keymap)
If there was previously no binding for @var{key} in @var{keymap}, the
new binding is added at the beginning of @var{keymap}. The order of
-bindings in a keymap makes no difference in most cases, but it does
-matter for menu keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}).
+bindings in a keymap makes no difference for keyboard input, but it
+does matter for menu keymaps (@pxref{Menu Keymaps}).
@end defun
Here is an example that creates a sparse keymap and makes a number of
@end group
@group
map
-@result{} (keymap
+@result{} (keymap
(24 keymap ; @kbd{C-x}
(102 . forward-word)) ; @kbd{f}
(6 . forward-char)) ; @kbd{C-f}
;; @r{Bind @kbd{C-p} to the @code{ctl-x-map}.}
(define-key map "\C-p" ctl-x-map)
;; @code{ctl-x-map}
-@result{} [nil @dots{} find-file @dots{} backward-kill-sentence]
+@result{} [nil @dots{} find-file @dots{} backward-kill-sentence]
@end group
@group
map
@result{} (keymap ; @r{Note @code{foo} in @code{ctl-x-map}.}
(16 keymap [nil @dots{} foo @dots{} backward-kill-sentence])
- (24 keymap
+ (24 keymap
(102 . forward-word))
(6 . forward-char))
@end group
@smallexample
@group
-(substitute-key-definition
+(substitute-key-definition
'find-file 'find-file-read-only (current-global-map))
@end group
@end smallexample
@c Emacs 19 feature
-If @var{oldmap} is non-@code{nil}, then its bindings determine which
-keys to rebind. The rebindings still happen in @var{keymap}, not in
-@var{oldmap}. Thus, you can change one map under the control of the
+If @var{oldmap} is non-@code{nil}, that changes the behavior of
+@code{substitute-key-definition}: the bindings in @var{oldmap} determine
+which keys to rebind. The rebindings still happen in @var{keymap}, not
+in @var{oldmap}. Thus, you can change one map under the control of the
bindings in another. For example,
@smallexample
@smallexample
@group
-(setq map '(keymap
- (?1 . olddef-1)
- (?2 . olddef-2)
+(setq map '(keymap
+ (?1 . olddef-1)
+ (?2 . olddef-2)
(?3 . olddef-1)))
@result{} (keymap (49 . olddef-1) (50 . olddef-2) (51 . olddef-1))
@end group
@code{negative-argument}. Otherwise it makes them undefined like the
rest of the printing characters.
-@cindex yank suppression
-@cindex @code{quoted-insert} suppression
+@cindex yank suppression
+@cindex @code{quoted-insert} suppression
The @code{suppress-keymap} function does not make it impossible to
modify a buffer, as it does not suppress commands such as @code{yank}
and @code{quoted-insert}. To prevent any modification of a buffer, make
@smallexample
@group
(accessible-keymaps (current-local-map))
-@result{}(("" keymap
+@result{}(("" keymap
(27 keymap ; @r{Note this keymap for @key{ESC} is repeated below.}
(83 . center-paragraph)
(115 . center-line))
@end group
@group
- ("^[" keymap
- (83 . center-paragraph)
+ ("^[" keymap
+ (83 . center-paragraph)
(115 . foo)))
@end group
@end smallexample
@smallexample
@group
(accessible-keymaps (current-global-map))
-@result{} (("" keymap [set-mark-command beginning-of-line @dots{}
+@result{} (("" keymap [set-mark-command beginning-of-line @dots{}
delete-backward-char])
@end group
@group
If @var{keymap} is @code{nil}, then the maps used are the current active
keymaps, disregarding @code{overriding-local-map} (that is, pretending
its value is @code{nil}). If @var{keymap} is non-@code{nil}, then the
-maps searched are @var{keymap} and the global keymap.
+maps searched are @var{keymap} and the global keymap. If @var{keymap}
+is a list of keymaps, only those keymaps are searched.
Usually it's best to use @code{overriding-local-map} as the expression
for @var{keymap}. Then @code{where-is-internal} searches precisely the
A keymap is suitable for menu use if it has an @dfn{overall prompt
string}, which is a string that appears as an element of the keymap.
(@xref{Format of Keymaps}.) The string should describe the purpose of
-the menu. The easiest way to construct a keymap with a prompt string is
-to specify the string as an argument when you call @code{make-keymap} or
-@code{make-sparse-keymap} (@pxref{Creating Keymaps}).
+the menu's commands. Emacs displays the overall prompt string as the
+menu title in some cases, depending on the toolkit (if any) used for
+displaying menus.@footnote{It is required for menus which do not use a
+toolkit, e.g.@: under MS-DOS.} Keyboard menus also display the overall
+prompt string.
+
+The easiest way to construct a keymap with a prompt string is to specify
+the string as an argument when you call @code{make-keymap},
+@code{make-sparse-keymap} or @code{define-prefix-command}
+(@pxref{Creating Keymaps}).
The order of items in the menu is the same as the order of bindings in
the keymap. Since @code{define-key} puts new bindings at the front, you
You can also supply a second string, called the help string, as follows:
@example
-(@var{item-string} @var{help-string} . @var{real-binding})
+(@var{item-string} @var{help} . @var{real-binding})
@end example
-Currently Emacs does not actually use @var{help-string}; it knows only
-how to ignore @var{help-string} in order to extract @var{real-binding}.
-In the future we may use @var{help-string} as extended documentation for
-the menu item, available on request.
+@var{help} specifies a ``help-echo'' string to display while the mouse
+is on that item in the same way as @code{help-echo} text properties
+(@pxref{Help display}).
As far as @code{define-key} is concerned, @var{item-string} and
@var{help-string} are part of the event's binding. However,
not defined at all.
@item :help @var{help}
-The value of this property, @var{help}, is the extra help string (not
-currently used by Emacs).
+The value of this property, @var{help}, specifies a ``help-echo'' string
+to display while the mouse is on that item. This is displayed in the
+same way as @code{help-echo} text properties (@pxref{Help display}).
+Note that this must be a constant string, unlike the @code{help-echo}
+property for text and overlays.
@item :button (@var{type} . @var{selected})
This property provides a way to define radio buttons and toggle buttons.
key) has a definition that is a menu keymap, the user can use the
keyboard to choose a menu item.
-Emacs displays the menu alternatives (the item strings of the bindings)
-in the echo area. If they don't all fit at once, the user can type
-@key{SPC} to see the next line of alternatives. Successive uses of
-@key{SPC} eventually get to the end of the menu and then cycle around to
-the beginning. (The variable @code{menu-prompt-more-char} specifies
-which character is used for this; @key{SPC} is the default.)
+Emacs displays the menu's overall prompt string followed by the
+alternatives (the item strings of the bindings) in the echo area. If
+the bindings don't all fit at once, the user can type @key{SPC} to see
+the next line of alternatives. Successive uses of @key{SPC} eventually
+get to the end of the menu and then cycle around to the beginning. (The
+variable @code{menu-prompt-more-char} specifies which character is used
+for this; @key{SPC} is the default.)
When the user has found the desired alternative from the menu, he or she
should type the corresponding character---the one whose binding is that
@example
(define-key menu-bar-print-menu [print-region]
'(menu-item "Print Region" print-region
- :enable (mark-active)))
+ :enable mark-active))
@end example
@noindent
@example
(define-key menu-bar-print-menu [print-region]
'(menu-item "Print Region" print-region
- :visible (mark-active)))
+ :visible mark-active))
@end example
@node Menu Bar
in the item must be a command, not a keymap; in other words, it does not
work to define a tool bar icon as a prefix key.
- The @code{:help} property is meaningful, and specifies a ``help-echo''
-string to display while the mouse is on that item.
+ The @code{:help} property specifies a ``help-echo'' string to display
+while the mouse is on that item. This is displayed in the same way as
+@code{help-echo} text properties (@pxref{Help display}).
In addition, you should use the @code{:image} property;
this is how you specify the image to display in the tool bar:
@end table
@end table
+If @var{image} is a single image specification, Emacs draws the tool bar
+button in disabled state by applying an edge-detection algorithm to the
+image.
+
+The default tool bar is defined so that items specific to editing do not
+appear for major modes whose command symbol has a @code{mode-class}
+property of @code{special} (@pxref{Major Mode Conventions}). Major
+modes may add items to the global bar by binding @code{[tool-bar
+@var{foo}]} in their local map. It makes sense for some major modes to
+replace the default tool bar items completely, since not many can be
+accommodated conveniently, and the default bindings make this easy by
+using an indirection through @code{tool-bar-map}.
+
+@defvar tool-bar-map
+@tindex tool-bar-map
+By default, the global map binds @code{[tool-bar]} as follows:
+@example
+(global-set-key [tool-bar]
+ '(menu-item "tool bar" ignore
+ :filter (lambda (ignore) tool-bar-map)))
+@end example
+@noindent
+Thus the tool bar map is derived dynamically from the value of variable
+@code{tool-bar-map} and you should normally adjust the default (global)
+tool bar by changing that map. Major modes may replace the global bar
+completely by making @code{tool-bar-map} buffer-local and set to a
+keymap containing only the desired items. Info mode provides an
+example.
+@end defvar
+
+There are two convenience functions for defining tool bar items, as
+follows.
+
+@defun tool-bar-add-item icon def key &rest props
+@tindex tool-bar-add-item
+This function adds an item to the tool bar by modifying
+@code{tool-bar-map}. The image to use is defined by @var{icon}, which
+is the base name of an XPM, XBM or PBM image file to located by
+@code{find-image}. Given a value @samp{"exit"}, say, @file{exit.xpm},
+@file{exit.pbm} and @file{exit.xbm} would be searched for in that order
+on a color display. On a monochrome display, the search order is
+@samp{.pbm}, @samp{.xbm} and @samp{.xpm}. The binding to use is the
+command @var{def}, and @var{key} is the fake function key symbol in the
+prefix keymap. The remaining arguments @var{props} are additional
+property list elements to add to the menu item specification.
+
+To define items in some local map, bind @code{`tool-bar-map} with
+@code{let} around calls of this function:
+@example
+(defvar foo-tool-bar-map
+ (let ((tool-bar-map (make-sparse-keymap)))
+ (tool-bar-add-item @dots{})
+ @dots{}
+ tool-bar-map))
+@end example
+@end defun
+
+@defun tool-bar-add-item-from-menu command icon &optional map &rest props
+@tindex tool-bar-add-item-from-menu
+This command is a convenience for defining tool bar items which are
+consistent with existing menu bar bindings. The binding of
+@var{command} is looked up in the menu bar in @var{map} (default
+@code{global-map}) and modified to add an image specification for
+@var{icon}, which is looked for in the same way as by
+@code{tool-bar-add-item}. The resulting binding is then placed in
+@code{tool-bar-map}. @var{map} must contain an appropriate keymap bound
+to @code{[menu-bar]}. The remaining arguments @var{props} are
+additional property list elements to add to the menu item specification.
+@end defun
+
@tindex auto-resize-tool-bar
@defvar auto-resize-tool-bar
If this variable is non-@code{nil}, the tool bar automatically resizes to
use @code{define-key} to add the item, it normally goes at the front of
the menu. To put it elsewhere in the menu, use @code{define-key-after}:
-@defun define-key-after map key binding after
+@defun define-key-after map key binding &optional after
Define a binding in @var{map} for @var{key}, with value @var{binding},
just like @code{define-key}, but position the binding in @var{map} after
the binding for the event @var{after}. The argument @var{key} should be
of length one---a vector or string with just one element. But
@var{after} should be a single event type---a symbol or a character, not
a sequence. The new binding goes after the binding for @var{after}. If
-@var{after} is @code{t}, then the new binding goes last, at the end of
-the keymap.
+@var{after} is @code{t} or is omitted, then the new binding goes last, at
+the end of the keymap. However, new bindings are added before any
+inherited keymap.
Here is an example:
@example
(define-key-after my-menu [drink]
- '("Drink" . drink-command) 'eat)
+ '("Drink" . drink-command) 'eat)
@end example
@noindent