@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2011
-@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2016 Free Software
+@c Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Abbrevs
@chapter Abbrevs
words in the buffer that start with those letters. @xref{Dynamic
Abbrevs}.
- ``Hippie'' expansion generalizes abbreviation expansion.
+ A third kind, @dfn{hippie expansion}, generalizes abbreviation expansion.
@xref{Hippie Expand, , Hippie Expansion, autotype, Features for
Automatic Typing}.
@node Abbrev Concepts
@section Abbrev Concepts
- An @dfn{abbrev} is a word which has been defined to @dfn{expand} into
+ An @dfn{abbrev} is a word that has been defined to @dfn{expand} into
a specified @dfn{expansion}. When you insert a word-separator character
following the abbrev, that expands the abbrev---replacing the abbrev
with its expansion. For example, if @samp{foo} is defined as an abbrev
-expanding to @samp{find outer otter}, then you can insert @samp{find
-outer otter.} into the buffer by typing @kbd{f o o .}.
+expanding to @samp{find outer otter}, then typing @kbd{f o o .} will
+insert @samp{find outer otter.}.
@findex abbrev-mode
-@vindex abbrev-mode
@cindex Abbrev mode
@cindex mode, Abbrev
- Abbrevs expand only when Abbrev mode (a minor mode) is enabled.
-Disabling Abbrev mode does not cause abbrev definitions to be forgotten,
-but they do not expand until Abbrev mode is enabled again. The command
-@kbd{M-x abbrev-mode} toggles Abbrev mode; with a numeric argument, it
-turns Abbrev mode on if the argument is positive, off otherwise.
-@xref{Minor Modes}. @code{abbrev-mode} is also a variable; Abbrev mode is
-on when the variable is non-@code{nil}. The variable @code{abbrev-mode}
-automatically becomes local to the current buffer when it is set.
+ Abbrevs expand only when Abbrev mode, a buffer-local minor mode, is
+enabled. Disabling Abbrev mode does not cause abbrev definitions to
+be forgotten, but they do not expand until Abbrev mode is enabled
+again. The command @kbd{M-x abbrev-mode} toggles Abbrev mode; with a
+numeric argument, it turns Abbrev mode on if the argument is positive,
+off otherwise. @xref{Minor Modes}.
Abbrevs can have @dfn{mode-specific} definitions, active only in one major
mode. Abbrevs can also have @dfn{global} definitions that are active in
mode-specific definitions for different major modes. A mode-specific
definition for the current major mode overrides a global definition.
- You can define abbrevs interactively during the editing session. You
-can also save lists of abbrev definitions in files for use in later
-sessions. Some users keep extensive lists of abbrevs that they load
-in every session.
+ You can define abbrevs interactively during the editing session,
+irrespective of whether Abbrev mode is enabled. You can also save
+lists of abbrev definitions in files, which you can the reload for use
+in later sessions.
@node Defining Abbrevs
@section Defining Abbrevs
@kindex C-x a l
@findex add-mode-abbrev
The command @kbd{C-x a l} (@code{add-mode-abbrev}) is similar, but
-defines a mode-specific abbrev. Mode-specific abbrevs are active only in a
-particular major mode. @kbd{C-x a l} defines an abbrev for the major mode
-in effect at the time @kbd{C-x a l} is typed. The arguments work the same
-as for @kbd{C-x a g}.
+defines a mode-specific abbrev for the current major mode. The
+arguments work the same as for @kbd{C-x a g}.
@kindex C-x a i g
@findex inverse-add-global-abbrev
@kindex C-x a i l
@findex inverse-add-mode-abbrev
- If the abbrev text itself is already in the buffer, you can use the
-commands @kbd{C-x a i g} (@code{inverse-add-global-abbrev}) and
-@kbd{C-x a i l} (@code{inverse-add-mode-abbrev}) to define it as an
-abbrev by specify the expansion in the minibuffer. These commands are
-called ``inverse'' because they invert the meaning of the two text
-strings they use (one from the buffer and one read with the
-minibuffer).
+ @kbd{C-x a i g} (@code{inverse-add-global-abbrev}) and @kbd{C-x a i
+l} (@code{inverse-add-mode-abbrev}) perform the opposite task: if the
+abbrev text is already in the buffer, you use these commands to define
+an abbrev by specifying the expansion in the minibuffer. These
+commands will expand the abbrev text used for the definition.
@findex define-mode-abbrev
@findex define-global-abbrev
It reads two arguments---the abbrev, and its expansion. The command
@code{define-mode-abbrev} does likewise for a mode-specific abbrev.
- To change the definition of an abbrev, just define a new definition.
-When the abbrev has a prior definition, the abbrev definition commands
+ To change the definition of an abbrev, just make a new definition.
+When an abbrev has a prior definition, the abbrev definition commands
ask for confirmation before replacing it.
@findex kill-all-abbrevs
When Abbrev mode is enabled, an abbrev expands whenever it is
present in the buffer just before point and you type a self-inserting
-whitespace or punctuation character (@key{SPC}, comma, etc.@:). More
+whitespace or punctuation character (@key{SPC}, comma, etc.). More
precisely, any character that is not a word constituent expands an
abbrev, and any word-constituent character can be part of an abbrev.
The most common way to use an abbrev is to insert it and then insert a
punctuation or whitespace character to expand it.
@vindex abbrev-all-caps
- Abbrev expansion preserves case; thus, @samp{foo} expands into @samp{find
-outer otter}; @samp{Foo} into @samp{Find outer otter}, and @samp{FOO} into
-@samp{FIND OUTER OTTER} or @samp{Find Outer Otter} according to the
-variable @code{abbrev-all-caps} (setting it non-@code{nil} specifies
-@samp{FIND OUTER OTTER}).
+ Abbrev expansion preserves case: @samp{foo} expands to @samp{find
+outer otter}, and @samp{Foo} to @samp{Find outer otter}. @samp{FOO}
+expands to @samp{Find Outer Otter} by default, but if you change the
+variable @code{abbrev-all-caps} to a non-@code{nil} value, it expands
+to @samp{FIND OUTER OTTER}.
These commands are used to control abbrev expansion:
the buffer, not expanding it.
@findex unexpand-abbrev
- If you expand an abbrev by mistake, you can undo the expansion and
-bring back the abbrev itself by typing @kbd{C-_} to undo (@pxref{Undo}).
-This also undoes the insertion of the non-word character that expanded
-the abbrev. If the result you want is the terminating non-word
-character plus the unexpanded abbrev, you must reinsert the terminating
-character, quoting it with @kbd{C-q}. You can also use the command
-@kbd{M-x unexpand-abbrev} to cancel the last expansion without
-deleting the terminating character.
+ If you expand an abbrev by mistake, you can undo the expansion by
+typing @kbd{C-/} (@code{undo}). @xref{Undo}. This undoes the
+insertion of the abbrev expansion and brings back the abbrev text. If
+the result you want is the terminating non-word character plus the
+unexpanded abbrev, you must reinsert the terminating character,
+quoting it with @kbd{C-q}. You can also use the command @kbd{M-x
+unexpand-abbrev} to cancel the last expansion without deleting the
+terminating character.
@findex expand-region-abbrevs
@kbd{M-x expand-region-abbrevs} searches through the region for defined
special set of abbrev definitions for making several global replacements at
once. This command is effective even if Abbrev mode is not enabled.
- Expanding any abbrev runs @code{abbrev-expand-functions}, a special
-hook. Functions in this special hook can make arbitrary changes to
+ The function @code{expand-abbrev} performs the expansion by calling
+the function that @code{abbrev-expand-function} specifies. By
+changing this function you can make arbitrary changes to
the abbrev expansion. @xref{Abbrev Expansion,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
Reference Manual}.
that you can eliminate those that you don't use often. The string at
the end of the line is the expansion.
- Some abbrevs are marked with @samp{(sys)}. These ``system'' abbrevs
+ Some abbrevs are marked with @samp{(sys)}. These @dfn{system abbrevs}
(@pxref{Abbrevs,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}) are
pre-defined by various modes, and are not saved to your abbrev file.
-To disable a ``system'' abbrev, define an abbrev of the same name that
+To disable a system abbrev, define an abbrev of the same name that
expands to itself, and save it to your abbrev file.
@findex edit-abbrevs
@kbd{M-x edit-abbrevs} allows you to add, change or kill abbrev
definitions by editing a list of them in an Emacs buffer. The list has
the same format described above. The buffer of abbrevs is called
-@samp{*Abbrevs*}, and is in Edit-Abbrevs mode. Type @kbd{C-c C-c} in
+@file{*Abbrevs*}, and is in Edit-Abbrevs mode. Type @kbd{C-c C-c} in
this buffer to install the abbrev definitions as specified in the
buffer---and delete any abbrev definitions not listed.
The command @code{edit-abbrevs} is actually the same as
-@code{list-abbrevs} except that it selects the buffer @samp{*Abbrevs*}
+@code{list-abbrevs} except that it selects the buffer @file{*Abbrevs*}
whereas @code{list-abbrevs} merely displays it in another window.
@node Saving Abbrevs
Write a file @var{file} describing all defined abbrevs.
@item M-x read-abbrev-file @key{RET} @var{file} @key{RET}
Read the file @var{file} and define abbrevs as specified therein.
-@item M-x quietly-read-abbrev-file @key{RET} @var{file} @key{RET}
-Similar but do not display a message about what is going on.
@item M-x define-abbrevs
Define abbrevs from definitions in current buffer.
@item M-x insert-abbrevs
@vindex dabbrev-case-fold-search
This feature is controlled by the variable
-@code{dabbrev-case-fold-search}. If it is @code{t}, case is ignored in
-this search; if it is @code{nil}, the word and the expansion must match
-in case. If the value of @code{dabbrev-case-fold-search} is
-@code{case-fold-search}, which is true by default, then the variable
-@code{case-fold-search} controls whether to ignore case while searching
-for expansions.
+@code{dabbrev-case-fold-search}. If it is @code{t}, case is ignored
+in this search; if it is @code{nil}, the word and the expansion must
+match in case. If the value is @code{case-fold-search} (the default),
+then the variable @code{case-fold-search} controls whether to ignore
+case while searching for expansions (@pxref{Lax Search}).
@vindex dabbrev-case-replace
Normally, dynamic abbrev expansion preserves the case pattern
The variable @code{dabbrev-case-replace} controls whether to
preserve the case pattern of the dynamic abbrev. If it is @code{t},
the dynamic abbrev's case pattern is preserved in most cases; if it is
-@code{nil}, the expansion is always copied verbatim. If the value of
-@code{dabbrev-case-replace} is @code{case-replace}, which is true by
-default, then the variable @code{case-replace} controls whether to
-copy the expansion verbatim.
+@code{nil}, the expansion is always copied verbatim. If the value is
+@code{case-replace} (the default), then the variable
+@code{case-replace} controls whether to copy the expansion verbatim
+(@pxref{Replacement and Lax Matches}).
However, if the expansion contains a complex mixed case pattern, and
the dynamic abbrev matches this pattern as far as it goes, then the
controls which characters are considered part of a word, for dynamic expansion
purposes. The regular expression must match just one character, never
two or more. The same regular expression also determines which
-characters are part of an expansion. The value @code{nil} has a special
-meaning: dynamic abbrevs are made of word characters, but expansions are
-made of word and symbol characters.
+characters are part of an expansion. The (default) value @code{nil}
+has a special meaning: dynamic abbrevs are made of word characters,
+but expansions are made of word and symbol characters.
@vindex dabbrev-abbrev-skip-leading-regexp
In shell scripts and makefiles, a variable name is sometimes prefixed
customize dynamic abbrev expansion to handle optional prefixes by setting
the variable @code{dabbrev-abbrev-skip-leading-regexp}. Its value
should be a regular expression that matches the optional prefix that
-dynamic abbrev expression should ignore.
+dynamic abbrev expression should ignore. The default is @code{nil},
+which means no characters should be skipped.