* Terminal Input:: Recording terminal input for debugging.
* Terminal Output:: Recording terminal output for debugging.
* Sound Output:: Playing sounds on the computer's speaker.
-* Special Keysyms:: Defining system-specific key symbols for X windows.
+* Special Keysyms:: Defining system-specific key symbols for X.
* Flow Control:: How to turn output flow control on or off.
* Batch Mode:: Running Emacs without terminal interaction.
@end menu
@enumerate
@item
-It adds subdirectories to @code{load-path}, by running the file
-named @file{subdirs.el} in each directory that is listed.
+It adds subdirectories to @code{load-path}, by running the file named
+@file{subdirs.el} in each directory in the list. Normally this file
+adds the directory's subdirectories to the list, and these will be
+scanned in their turn. The files @file{subdirs.el} are normally
+generated automatically by Emacs installation.
@item
It sets the language environment and the terminal coding system,
It processes the action arguments from the command line.
@item
-It runs @code{term-setup-hook}.
+It runs @code{emacs-startup-hook} and then @code{term-setup-hook}.
@item
It calls @code{frame-notice-user-settings}, which modifies the
@defvar after-init-hook
This normal hook is run, once, just after loading all the init files
(the user's init file, @file{default.el}, and/or @file{site-start.el}),
-before the terminal-specific initialization.
+before loading the terminal-specific library and processing the
+command-line arguments.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar emacs-startup-hook
+@tindex emacs-startup-hook
+This normal hook is run, once, just after handling the command line
+arguments, just before @code{term-setup-hook}.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar user-init-file
+@tindex user-init-file
+This variable holds the file name of the user's init file. If the
+actual init file loaded is a compiled file, such as @file{.emacs.elc},
+the value refers to the corresponding source file.
@end defvar
@node Terminal-Specific
may not have a parent that can resume it again, and in any case you can
give input to some other job such as a shell merely by moving to a
different window. Therefore, suspending is not allowed when Emacs is using
-a window system (X Windows or MS Windows).
+a window system (X or MS Windows).
@defun suspend-emacs string
This function stops Emacs and returns control to the superior process.
Emacs was dumped. @xref{Building Emacs}.)
@end defvar
-@defun getenv var
+@deffn Command getenv var
@cindex environment variable access
This function returns the value of the environment variable @var{var},
as a string. Within Emacs, the environment variable values are kept in
HOME=/user/lewis
@end group
@end example
-@end defun
+@end deffn
@c Emacs 19 feature
@deffn Command setenv variable value
and MS-Windows.
@end defvar
+@defun parse-colon-path path
+@tindex parse-colon-path
+This function takes a search path string such as would be the value of
+the @code{PATH} environment variable, and splits it at the separators,
+returning a list of directory names. @code{nil} in this list stands for
+``use the current directory.'' Although the function's name says
+``colon,'' it actually uses the value of @code{path-separator}.
+
+@example
+(parse-colon-path ":/foo:/bar")
+ @result{} (nil "/foo/" "/bar/")
+@end example
+@end defun
+
@defvar invocation-name
This variable holds the program name under which Emacs was invoked. The
value is a string, and does not include a directory name.
@var{dow} and @var{zone}.
@end defun
-@defun encode-time seconds minutes hour day month year &optional @dots{}zone
+@defun encode-time seconds minutes hour day month year &optional zone
This function is the inverse of @code{decode-time}. It converts seven
items of calendrical data into a time value. For the meanings of the
arguments, see the table above under @code{decode-time}.
Year numbers less than 100 are not treated specially. If you want them
-to stand for years above 1900, you must alter them yourself before you
-call @code{encode-time}.
+to stand for years above 1900, or years above 2000, you must alter them
+yourself before you call @code{encode-time}.
The optional argument @var{zone} defaults to the current time zone and
its daylight savings time rules. If specified, it can be either a list
This specifies how loud to play the sound. It should be a number in the
range of 0 to 1. The default is to use whatever volume has been
specified before.
+
+@item :device @var{device}
+This specifies the system device on which to play the sound, as a
+string. The default device is system-dependent.
@end table
Before actually playing the sound, @code{play-sound}
Each function is called with one argument, @var{sound}.
@end defun
+@defun play-sound-file file &optional volume device
+@tindex play-sound-file
+This function is an alternative interface to playing a sound @var{file}
+specifying an optional @var{volume} and @var{device}.
+@end defun
+
@tindex play-sound-functions
@defvar play-sound-functions
A list of functions to be called before playing a sound. Each function
Any Lisp program output that would normally go to the echo area,
either using @code{message}, or using @code{prin1}, etc., with @code{t}
as the stream, goes instead to Emacs's standard error descriptor when
-in batch mode. Thus, Emacs behaves much like a noninteractive
+in batch mode. Similarly, input that would normally come from the
+minibuffer is read from the standard input descriptor.
+Thus, Emacs behaves much like a noninteractive
application program. (The echo area output that Emacs itself normally
generates, such as command echoing, is suppressed entirely.)