@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000
+@c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,97,2000,2001,2002
@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Customization, Quitting, Amusements, Top
This chapter talks about various topics relevant to adapting the
behavior of Emacs in minor ways. See @cite{The Emacs Lisp Reference
-Manual} for how to make more far-reaching changes.
+Manual} for how to make more far-reaching changes. @xref{X Resources},
+for information on using X resources to customize Emacs.
Customization that you do within Emacs normally affects only the
particular Emacs session that you do it in--it does not persist
@findex customize
@cindex customization buffer
A convenient way to find the user option variables that you want to
-change, and then change them, is with @kbd{M-x customize}. This command
-creates a @dfn{customization buffer} with which you can browse through
-the Emacs user options in a logically organized structure, then edit and
-set their values. You can also use the customization buffer to save
-settings permanently. (Not all Emacs user options are included in this
-structure as of yet, but we are adding the rest.)
+change, and then change them, is with @kbd{M-x customize}. This
+command creates a @dfn{customization buffer} with which you can browse
+through the Emacs user options in a logically organized structure,
+then edit and set their values. You can also use the customization
+buffer to save settings permanently in your @file{~/.emacs} file
+(@pxref{Init File}).
The appearance of the example buffers in the following is typically
different under a window system where faces can be used to indicate the
example of how a face looks:
@smallexample
-Custom Changed Face: (sample) [Hide]
+Custom Changed Face:(sample) [Hide]
[State]: this face is unchanged from its standard setting.
-Parent groups: [Custom Magic Faces]
-Attributes: [ ] Font family: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Width: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Height: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Weight: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Slant: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Underline: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Overline: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Strike-through: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Box around text: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Inverse-video: [Value Menu] *
- [X] Foreground: [Value Menu] Color: white (sample)
- [X] Background: [Value Menu] Color: blue (sample)
- [ ] Stipple: [Value Menu] *
- [ ] Inherit:
+Face used when the customize item has been changed.
+Parent groups: => Custom Magic Faces
+Attributes: [ ] Font Family: *
+ [ ] Width: *
+ [ ] Height: *
+ [ ] Weight: *
+ [ ] Slant: *
+ [ ] Underline: *
+ [ ] Overline: *
+ [ ] Strike-through: *
+ [ ] Box around text: *
+ [ ] Inverse-video: *
+ [X] Foreground: white (sample)
+ [X] Background: blue (sample)
+ [ ] Stipple: *
+ [ ] Inherit: *
@end smallexample
Each face attribute has its own line. The @samp{[@var{x}]} field
@findex customize-face
Likewise, you can modify a specific face, chosen by name, using
-@kbd{M-x customize-face}.
+@kbd{M-x customize-face}. By default it operates on the face used
+on the character after point.
@findex customize-group
You can also set up the customization buffer with a specific group,
makes these hooks abnormal is that there is something peculiar about the
way its functions are called---perhaps they are given arguments, or
perhaps the values they return are used in some way. For example,
-@code{find-file-not-found-hooks} (@pxref{Visiting}) is abnormal because
+@code{find-file-not-found-functions} (@pxref{Visiting}) is abnormal because
as soon as one hook function returns a non-@code{nil} value, the rest
are not called at all. The documentation of each abnormal hook variable
explains in detail what is peculiar about it.
@cindex shell scripts, and local file variables
In shell scripts, the first line is used to identify the script
-interpreter, so you cannot put any local variables there. To accomodate
+interpreter, so you cannot put any local variables there. To accommodate
for this, when Emacs visits a shell script, it looks for local variable
specifications in the @emph{second} line.
and a value for the variable @code{eval} is simply evaluated as an
expression and the value is ignored. @code{mode} and @code{eval} are
not real variables; setting variables named @code{mode} and @code{eval}
-in any other context has no special meaning. If @code{mode} is used to
-set a major mode, it should be the first ``variable'' in the list.
+in any other context has no special meaning. @emph{If @code{mode} is
+used to set a major mode, it should be the first ``variable'' in the
+list.} Otherwise, the entries that precede it in the list of the local
+variables are likely to be ignored, since most modes kill all local
+variables as part of their initialization.
You can use the @code{mode} ``variable'' to set minor modes as well as
major modes; in fact, you can use it more than once, first to set the
defining a keyboard macro to do @kbd{C-n C-d} and calling it with a
repeat count of forty.
-@c widecommands
@table @kbd
@item C-x (
Start defining a keyboard macro (@code{start-kbd-macro}).
key sequences are inconvenient to use.
As a user, you can redefine any key; but it is usually best to stick
-to key sequences that consist of @kbd{C-c} followed by a letter.
-These keys are ``reserved for users,'' so they won't conflict with any
-properly designed Emacs extension. The function keys @key{F5} through
-@key{F9} are also reserved for users. If you redefine some other key,
-your definition may be overridden by certain extensions or major modes
-which redefine the same key.
+to key sequences that consist of @kbd{C-c} followed by a letter (upper
+or lower case). These keys are ``reserved for users,'' so they won't
+conflict with any properly designed Emacs extension. The function
+keys @key{F5} through @key{F9} are also reserved for users. If you
+redefine some other key, your definition may be overridden by certain
+extensions or major modes which redefine the same key.
@node Prefix Keymaps
@subsection Prefix Keymaps
the @file{.emacs} file for you. Likewise, @kbd{M-x enable-command}
edits @file{.emacs} to enable a command permanently. @xref{Init File}.
+ If Emacs was invoked with the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file}
+options (@pxref{Initial Options}), it will not edit your
+@file{~/.emacs} init file. This is because editing the init file from
+such a session might overwrite the lines you might have on your init
+file which enable and disable commands.
+
Whether a command is disabled is independent of what key is used to
invoke it; disabling also applies if the command is invoked using
@kbd{M-x}. Disabling a command has no effect on calling it as a