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--- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/man/internals/internals.texi Mon Aug 13 08:45:50 2007 +0200 @@ -0,0 +1,7190 @@ +\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- +@c %**start of header +@setfilename ../../info/internals.info +@settitle XEmacs Internals Manual +@c %**end of header + +@ifinfo + +Copyright @copyright{} 1992 - 1996 Ben Wing. +Copyright @copyright{} 1996 Sun Microsystems. +Copyright @copyright{} 1994, 1995 Free Software Foundation. +Copyright @copyright{} 1994, 1995 Board of Trustees, University of Illinois. + + +Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this +manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are +preserved on all copies. + +@ignore +Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the +results, provided the printed document carries copying permission notice +identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph (this +paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual). + +@end ignore +Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this +manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the +entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a +permission notice identical to this one. + +Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual +into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, +except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation +approved by the Foundation. + +Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this +manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the +section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' is included exactly as +in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is +distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this +one. + +Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual +into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, +except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' may be +included in a translation approved by the Free Software Foundation +instead of in the original English. +@end ifinfo + +@c Combine indices. +@synindex cp fn +@syncodeindex vr fn +@syncodeindex ky fn +@syncodeindex pg fn +@syncodeindex tp fn + +@setchapternewpage odd +@finalout + +@titlepage +@title XEmacs Internals Manual +@subtitle Version 1.0, March 1996 + +@author Ben Wing +@page +@vskip 0pt plus 1fill + +@noindent +Copyright @copyright{} 1992 - 1996 Ben Wing. @* +Copyright @copyright{} 1996 Sun Microsystems, Inc. @* +Copyright @copyright{} 1994 Free Software Foundation. @* +Copyright @copyright{} 1994, 1995 Board of Trustees, University of Illinois. + +@sp 2 +Version 1.0 @* +March, 1996.@* + +Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this +manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are +preserved on all copies. + +Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this +manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the +section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' is included +exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting +derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice +identical to this one. + +Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual +into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, +except that the section entitled ``GNU General Public License'' may be +included in a translation approved by the Free Software Foundation +instead of in the original English. +@end titlepage +@page + +@node Top, A History of Emacs, (dir), (dir) + +@ifinfo +This Info file contains v1.0 of the XEmacs Internals Manual. +@end ifinfo + +@menu +* A History of Emacs:: Times, dates, important events. +* XEmacs From the Outside:: A broad conceptual overview. +* The Lisp Language:: An overview. +* XEmacs From the Perspective of Building:: +* XEmacs From the Inside:: +* The XEmacs Object System (Abstractly Speaking):: +* How Lisp Objects Are Represented in C:: +* Rules When Writing New C Code:: +* A Summary of the Various XEmacs Modules:: +* Allocation of Objects in XEmacs Lisp:: +* Events and the Event Loop:: +* Evaluation; Stack Frames; Bindings:: +* Symbols and Variables:: +* Buffers and Textual Representation:: +* MULE Character Sets and Encodings:: +* The Lisp Reader and Compiler:: +* Lstreams:: +* Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows:: +* The Redisplay Mechanism:: +* Extents:: +* Faces and Glyphs:: +* Specifiers:: +* Menus:: +* Subprocesses:: +* Interface to X Windows:: +* Index:: Index including concepts, functions, variables, + and other terms. + + --- The Detailed Node Listing --- + +Here are other nodes that are inferiors of those already listed, +mentioned here so you can get to them in one step: + +A History of Emacs + +* Through Version 18:: Unification prevails. +* Lucid Emacs:: One version 19 Emacs. +* GNU Emacs 19:: The other version 19 Emacs. +* XEmacs:: The continuation of Lucid Emacs. + +Rules When Writing New C Code + +* General Coding Rules:: +* Writing Lisp Primitives:: +* Adding Global Lisp Variables:: + +A Summary of the Various XEmacs Modules + +* Low-Level Modules:: +* Basic Lisp Modules:: +* Modules for Standard Editing Operations:: +* Editor-Level Control Flow Modules:: +* Modules for the Basic Displayable Lisp Objects:: +* Modules for other Display-Related Lisp Objects:: +* Modules for the Redisplay Mechanism:: +* Modules for Interfacing with the File System:: +* Modules for Other Aspects of the Lisp Interpreter and Object System:: +* Modules for Interfacing with the Operating System:: +* Modules for Interfacing with X Windows:: +* Modules for Internationalization:: + +Allocation of Objects in XEmacs Lisp + +* Introduction to Allocation:: +* Garbage Collection:: +* GCPROing:: +* Integers and Characters:: +* Allocation from Frob Blocks:: +* lrecords:: +* Low-level allocation:: +* Pure Space:: +* Cons:: +* Vector:: +* Bit Vector:: +* Symbol:: +* Marker:: +* String:: +* Bytecode:: + +Events and the Event Loop + +* Introduction to Events:: +* Main Loop:: +* Specifics of the Event Gathering Mechanism:: +* Specifics About the Emacs Event:: +* The Event Stream Callback Routines:: +* Other Event Loop Functions:: +* Converting Events:: +* Dispatching Events; The Command Builder:: + +Evaluation; Stack Frames; Bindings + +* Evaluation:: +* Dynamic Binding; The specbinding Stack; Unwind-Protects:: +* Simple Special Forms:: +* Catch and Throw:: + +Symbols and Variables + +* Introduction to Symbols:: +* Obarrays:: +* Symbol Values:: + +Buffers and Textual Representation + +* Introduction to Buffers:: A buffer holds a block of text such as a file. +* A Buffer@'s Text:: Representation of the text in a buffer. +* Buffer Lists:: Keeping track of all buffers. +* Markers and Extents:: Tagging locations within a buffer. +* Bufbytes and Emchars:: Representation of individual characters. +* The Buffer Object:: The Lisp object corresponding to a buffer. + +MULE Character Sets and Encodings + +* Character Sets:: +* Encodings:: +* Internal Mule Encodings:: + +Encodings + +* Japanese EUC (Extended Unix Code):: +* JIS7:: + +Internal Mule Encodings + +* Internal String Encoding:: +* Internal Character Encoding:: + +The Lisp Reader and Compiler + +Lstreams + +Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows + +* Introduction to Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows:: +* Point:: +* Window Hierarchy:: + +The Redisplay Mechanism + +* Critical Redisplay Sections:: +* Line Start Cache:: + +Extents + +* Introduction to Extents:: Extents are ranges over text, with properties. +* Extent Ordering:: How extents are ordered internally. +* Format of the Extent Info:: The extent information in a buffer or string. +* Zero-Length Extents:: A weird special case. +* Mathematics of Extent Ordering:: A rigorous foundation. +* Extent Fragments:: Cached information useful for redisplay. + +Faces and Glyphs + +Specifiers + +Menus + +Subprocesses + +Interface to X Windows + +@end menu + +@node A History of Emacs, XEmacs From the Outside, Top, Top +@chapter A History of Emacs +@cindex history of Emacs +@cindex Hackers (Steven Levy) +@cindex Levy, Steven +@cindex ITS (Incompatible Timesharing System) +@cindex Stallman, Richard +@cindex RMS +@cindex MIT +@cindex TECO +@cindex FSF +@cindex Free Software Foundation + + XEmacs is a powerful, customizable text editor and development +environment. It began as Lucid Emacs, which was in turn derived from +GNU Emacs, a program written by Richard Stallman of the Free Software +Foundation. GNU Emacs dates back to the 1970's, and was modelled +after a package called ``Emacs'', written in 1976, that was a set of +macros on top of TECO, an old, old text editor written at MIT on the +DEC PDP 10 under one of the earliest time-sharing operating systems, +ITS (Incompatible Timesharing System). (ITS dates back well before +Unix.) ITS, TECO, and Emacs were products of a group of people at MIT +who called themselves ``hackers'', who shared an idealistic belief +system about the free exchange of information and were fanatical in +their devotion to and time spent with computers. (The hacker +subculture dates back to the late 1950's at MIT and is described in +detail in Steven Levy's book @cite{Hackers}. This book also includes +a lot of information about Stallman himself and the development of +Lisp, a programming language developed at MIT that underlies Emacs.) + +@menu +* Through Version 18:: Unification prevails. +* Lucid Emacs:: One version 19 Emacs. +* GNU Emacs 19:: The other version 19 Emacs. +* XEmacs:: The continuation of Lucid Emacs. +@end menu + +@node Through Version 18 +@section Through Version 18 +@cindex Gosling, James +@cindex Great Usenet Renaming + + Although the history of the early versions of GNU Emacs is unclear, +the history is well-known from the middle of 1985. A time line is: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +GNU Emacs version 15 (15.34) was released sometime in 1984 or 1985 and +shared some code with a version of Emacs written by James Gosling (the +same James Gosling who later created the Java language). +@item +GNU Emacs version 16 (first released version was 16.56) was released on +July 15, 1985. All Gosling code was removed due to potential copyright +problems with the code. +@item +version 16.57: released on September 16, 1985. +@item +versions 16.58, 16.59: released on September 17, 1985. +@item +version 16.60: released on September 19, 1985. These later version 16's +incorporated patches from the net, esp. for getting Emacs to work under +System V. +@item +version 17.36 (first official v17 release) released on December 20, +1985. Included a TeX-able user manual. First official unpatched +version that worked on vanilla System V machines. +@item +version 17.43 (second official v17 release) released on January 25, +1986. +@item +version 17.45 released on January 30, 1986. +@item +version 17.46 released on February 4, 1986. +@item +version 17.48 released on February 10, 1986. +@item +version 17.49 released on February 12, 1986. +@item +version 17.55 released on March 18, 1986. +@item +version 17.57 released on March 27, 1986. +@item +version 17.58 released on April 4, 1986. +@item +version 17.61 released on April 12, 1986. +@item +version 17.63 released on May 7, 1986. +@item +version 17.64 released on May 12, 1986. +@item +version 18.24 (a beta version) released on October 2, 1986. +@item +version 18.30 (a beta version) released on November 15, 1986. +@item +version 18.31 (a beta version) released on November 23, 1986. +@item +version 18.32 (a beta version) released on December 7, 1986. +@item +version 18.33 (a beta version) released on December 12, 1986. +@item +version 18.35 (a beta version) released on January 5, 1987. +@item +version 18.36 (a beta version) released on January 21, 1987. +@item +version 18.37 (a beta version) released on February 12, 1987. +@item +version 18.38 (a beta version) released on March 3, 1987. +@item +version 18.39 (a beta version) released on March 14, 1987. +@item +version 18.40 (a beta version) released on March 18, 1987. +@item +version 18.41 (the first ``official'' release) released on March 22, +1987. +@item +version 18.45 released on June 2, 1987. +@item +version 18.46 released on June 9, 1987. +@item +version 18.47 released on June 18, 1987. +@item +version 18.48 released on September 3, 1987. +@item +version 18.49 released on September 18, 1987. +@item +version 18.50 released on February 13, 1988. +@item +version 18.51 released on May 7, 1988. +@item +version 18.52 released on September 1, 1988. +@item +January 27, 1989: The Great Usenet Renaming. net.emacs is now +comp.emacs. +@item +version 18.53 released on February 24, 1989. +@item +version 18.54 released on April 26, 1989. +@item +version 18.55 released on August 23, 1989. This is the earliest version +that is still available by FTP. +@item +version 18.56 released on January 17, 1991. +@item +version 18.57 released late January, 1991. +@item +version 18.58 released ?????. +@item +version 18.59 released October 31, 1992. +@end itemize + +@node Lucid Emacs +@section Lucid Emacs +@cindex Lucid Emacs +@cindex Lucid Inc. +@cindex Energize +@cindex Epoch + + Lucid Emacs was developed by the (now-defunct) Lucid Inc., a maker of +C++ and Lisp development environments. It began when Lucid decided they +wanted to use Emacs as the editor and cornerstone of their C++ +development environment (called ``Energize''). They needed many features +that were not available in the existing version of GNU Emacs (version +18.5something), in particular good and integrated support for GUI +elements such as mouse support, multiple fonts, multiple window-system +windows, etc. A branch of GNU Emacs called Epoch, written at the +University of Illinois, existed that supplied many of these features; +however, Lucid needed more than what existed in Epoch. At the time, the +Free Software Foundation was working on version 19 of Emacs (this was +sometime around 1991), which was planned to have similar features, and +so Lucid decided to work with the Free Software Foundation. Their plan +was to add features that they needed, and coordinate with the FSF so +that the features would get included back into Emacs version 19. + + Delays in the release of version 19 occurred, however (resulting in it +finally being released more than a year after what was initially +planned), and Lucid encountered unexpected technical resistance in +getting their changes merged back into version 19, so they decided to +release their own version of Emacs, which became Lucid Emacs 19.0. + +@cindex Zawinski, Jamie +@cindex Sexton, Harlan +@cindex Benson, Eric +@cindex Devin, Matthieu + The initial authors of Lucid Emacs were Matthieu Devin, Harlan Sexton, +and Eric Benson, and the work was later taken over by Jamie Zawinski, +who became ``Mr. Lucid Emacs'' for many releases. + + A time line for Lucid Emacs/XEmacs is + +@itemize @bullet +@item +version 19.0 shipped with Energize 1.0, April 1992. +@item +version 19.1 released June 4, 1992. +@item +version 19.2 released June 19, 1992. +@item +version 19.3 released September 9, 1992. +@item +version 19.4 released January 21, 1993. +@item +version 19.5 was a repackaging of 19.4 with a few bug fixes and +shipped with Energize 2.0. Never released to the net. +@item +version 19.6 released April 9, 1993. +@item +version 19.7 was a repackaging of 19.6 with a few bug fixes and +shipped with Energize 2.1. Never released to the net. +@item +version 19.8 released September 6, 1993. +@item +version 19.9 released January 12, 1994. +@item +version 19.10 released May 27, 1994. +@item +version 19.11 (first XEmacs) released September 13, 1994. +@item +version 19.12 released June 23, 1995. +@item +version 19.13 released September 1, 1995. +@end itemize + +@node GNU Emacs 19 +@section GNU Emacs 19 +@cindex GNU Emacs 19 +@cindex FSF Emacs + + About a year after the initial release of Lucid Emacs, the FSF +released a beta of their version of Emacs 19 (referred to here as ``GNU +Emacs''). By this time, the current version of Lucid Emacs was +19.6. (Strangely, the first released beta from the FSF was GNU Emacs +19.7.) A time line for GNU Emacs version 19 is + +@itemize @bullet +@item +version 19.8 (beta) released May 27, 1993. +@item +version 19.9 (beta) released May 27, 1993. +@item +version 19.10 (beta) released May 30, 1993. +@item +version 19.11 (beta) released June 1, 1993. +@item +version 19.12 (beta) released June 2, 1993. +@item +version 19.13 (beta) released June 8, 1993. +@item +version 19.14 (beta) released June 17, 1993. +@item +version 19.15 (beta) released June 19, 1993. +@item +version 19.16 (beta) released July 6, 1993. +@item +version 19.17 (beta) released late July, 1993. +@item +version 19.18 (beta) released August 9, 1993. +@item +version 19.19 (beta) released August 15, 1993. +@item +version 19.20 (beta) released November 17, 1993. +@item +version 19.21 (beta) released November 17, 1993. +@item +version 19.22 (beta) released November 28, 1993. +@item +version 19.23 (beta) released May 17, 1994. +@item +version 19.24 (beta) released May 16, 1994. +@item +version 19.25 (beta) released June 3, 1994. +@item +version 19.26 (beta) released September 11, 1994. +@item +version 19.27 (beta) released September 14, 1994. +@item +version 19.28 (first ``official'' release) released November 1, 1994. +@item +version 19.29 released June 21, 1995. +@end itemize + +@cindex Mlynarik, Richard + In some ways, GNU Emacs 19 was better than Lucid Emacs; in some ways, +worse. Lucid soon began incorporating features from GNU Emacs 19 into +Lucid Emacs; the work was mostly done by Richard Mlynarik, who had been +working on and using GNU Emacs for a long time (back as far as version +16 or 17). + +@node XEmacs +@section XEmacs +@cindex XEmacs + +@cindex Sun Microsystems +@cindex University of Illinois +@cindex Illinois, University of +@cindex SPARCWorks +@cindex Andreessen, Marc +@cindex Kaplan, Simon +@cindex Wing, Ben +@cindex Thompson, Chuck +@cindex Win-Emacs +@cindex Epoch +@cindex Amdahl Corporation + Around the time that Lucid was developing Energize, Sun Microsystems +was developing their own development environment (called ``SPARCWorks'') +and also decided to use Emacs. They joined forces with the Epoch team +at the University of Illinois and later with Lucid. The maintainer of +the last-released version of Epoch was Marc Andreessen, but he dropped +out and the Epoch project, headed by Simon Kaplan, lured Chuck Thompson +away from a system administration job to become the primary Lucid Emacs +author for Epoch and Sun. Chuck's area of specialty became the +redisplay engine (he replaced the old Lucid Emacs redisplay engine with +a ported version from Epoch and then later rewrote it from scratch). +Sun also hired Ben Wing (the author of Win-Emacs, a port of Lucid Emacs +to Microsoft Windows 3.1) in 1993, for what was initially a one-month +contract to fix some event problems but later became a many-year +involvement, punctuated by a six-month contract with Amdahl Corporation. + +@cindex rename to XEmacs + In 1994, Sun and Lucid agreed to rename Lucid Emacs to XEmacs (a name +not favorable to either company); the first release called XEmacs was +version 19.11. In June 1994, Lucid folded and Jamie quit to work for +the newly formed Mosaic Communications Corp., later Netscape +Communications Corp. (co-founded by the same Marc Andreessen, who had +quit his Epoch job to work on a graphical browser for the World Wide +Web). Chuck then become the primary maintainer of XEmacs, and put out +versions 19.11, 19.12, and 19.13 in conjunction with Ben. For 19.12 and +19.13, Chuck added the new redisplay and many other display improvements +and Ben added MULE support (support for Asian and other languages) and +redesigned most of the internal Lisp subsystems to better support the +MULE work and the various other features being added to XEmacs. + +@cindex merging attempts + Many attempts have been made to merge XEmacs and GNU Emacs, but they +have consistently run into the same technical disagreements and other +problems that Lucid ran into when originally attempting to merge Lucid +Emacs into GNU Emacs. + + A more detailed history is contained in the XEmacs About page. + +@node XEmacs From the Outside, The Lisp Language, A History of Emacs, Top +@chapter XEmacs From the Outside +@cindex read-eval-print + + XEmacs appears to the outside world as an editor, but it is really a +Lisp environment. At its heart is a Lisp interpreter; it also +``happens'' to contain many specialized object types (e.g. buffers, +windows, frames, events) that are useful for implementing an editor. +Some of these objects (in particular windows and frames) have +displayable representations, and XEmacs provides a function +@code{redisplay()} that ensures that the display of all such objects +matches their internal state. Most of the time, a standard Lisp +environment is in a @dfn{read-eval-print} loop -- i.e. ``read some Lisp +code, execute it, and print the results''. XEmacs has a similar loop: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +read an event +@item +dispatch the event (i.e. ``do it'') +@item +redisplay +@end itemize + + Reading an event is done using the Lisp function @code{next-event}, +which waits for something to happen (typically, the user presses a key +or moves the mouse) and returns an event object describing this. +Dispatching an event is done using the Lisp function +@code{dispatch-event}, which looks up the event in a keymap object (a +particular kind of object that associates an event with a Lisp function) +and calls that function. The function ``does'' what the user has +requested by changing the state of particular frame objects, buffer +objects, etc. Finally, @code{redisplay()} is called, which updates the +display to reflect those changes just made. Thus is an ``editor'' born. + +@cindex bridge, playing +@cindex taxes, doing +@cindex pi, calculating + Note that you do not have to use XEmacs as an editor; you could just +as well make it do your taxes, compute pi, play bridge, etc. You'd just +have to write functions to do those operations in Lisp. + +@node The Lisp Language, XEmacs From the Perspective of Building, XEmacs From the Outside, Top +@chapter The Lisp Language +@cindex Lisp vs. C +@cindex C vs. Lisp +@cindex Lisp vs. Java +@cindex Java vs. Lisp +@cindex dynamic scoping +@cindex scoping, dynamic +@cindex dynamic types +@cindex types, dynamic +@cindex Java +@cindex Common Lisp +@cindex Gosling, James + + Lisp is a general-purpose language that is higher-level than C and in +many ways more powerful than C. Powerful dialects of Lisp such as +Common Lisp are probably much better languages for writing very large +applications than is C. (Unfortunately, for many non-technical +reasons C and its successor C++ have become the dominant languages for +application development. These languages are both inadequate for +extremely large applications, which is evidenced by the fact that newer, +larger programs are becoming ever harder to write and are requiring ever +more programmers despite great increases in C development environments; +and by the fact that, although hardware speeds and reliability have been +growing at an exponential rate, most software is still generally +considered to be slow and buggy.) + + The new Java language holds promise as a better general-purpose +development language than C. Java has many features in common with +Lisp that are not shared by C (this is not a coincidence, since +Java was designed by James Gosling, a former Lisp hacker). This +will be discussed more later. + +For those used to C, here is a summary of the basic differences between +C and Lisp: + +@enumerate +@item +Lisp has an extremely regular syntax. Every function, expression, +and control statement is written in the form + +@example + (@var{func} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} ...) +@end example + +This is as opposed to C, which writes functions as + +@example + func(@var{arg1}, @var{arg2}, ...) +@end example + +but writes expressions involving operators as (e.g.) + +@example + @var{arg1} + @var{arg2} +@end example + +and writes control statements as (e.g.) + +@example + while (@var{expr}) @{ @var{statement1}; @var{statement2}; ... @} +@end example + +Lisp equivalents of the latter two would be + +@example + (+ @var{arg1} @var{arg2} ...) +@end example + +and + +@example + (while @var{expr} @var{statement1} @var{statement2} ...) +@end example + +@item +Lisp is a safe language. Assuming there are no bugs in the Lisp +interpreter/compiler, it is impossible to write a program that ``core +dumps'' or otherwise causes the machine to execute an illegal +instruction. This is very different from C, where perhaps the most +common outcome of a bug is exactly such a crash. A corollary of this is that +the C operation of casting a pointer is impossible (and unnecessary) in +Lisp, and that it is impossible to access memory outside the bounds of +an array. + +@item +Programs and data are written in the same form. The +parenthesis-enclosing form described above for statements is the same +form used for the most common data type in Lisp, the list. Thus, it is +possible to represent any Lisp program using Lisp data types, and for +one program to construct Lisp statements and then dynamically +@dfn{evaluate} them, or cause them to execute. + +@item +All objects are @dfn{dynamically typed}. This means that part of every +object is an indication of what type it is. A Lisp program can +manipulate an object without knowing what type it is, and can query an +object to determine its type. This means that, correspondingly, +variables and function parameters can hold objects of any type and are +not normally declared as being of any particular type. This is opposed +to the @dfn{static typing} of C, where variables can hold exactly one +type of object and must be declared as such, and objects do not contain +an indication of their type because it's implicit in the variables they +are stored in. It is possible in C to have a variable hold different +types of objects (e.g. through the use of @code{void *} pointers or +variable-argument functions), but the type information must then be +passed explicitly in some other fashion, leading to additional program +complexity. + +@item +Allocated memory is automatically reclaimed when it is no longer in use. +This operation is called @dfn{garbage collection} and involves looking +through all variables to see what memory is being pointed to, and +reclaiming any memory that is not pointed to and is thus +``inaccessible'' and out of use. This is as opposed to C, in which +allocated memory must be explicitly reclaimed using @code{free()}. If +you simply drop all pointers to memory without freeing it, it becomes +``leaked'' memory that still takes up space. Over a long period of +time, this can cause your program to grow and grow until it runs out of +memory. + +@item +Lisp has built-in facilities for handling errors and exceptions. In C, +when an error occurs, usually either the program exits entirely or the +routine in which the error occurs returns a value indicating this. If +an error occurs in a deeply-nested routine, then every routine currently +called must unwind itself normally and return an error value back up to +the next routine. This means that every routine must explicitly check +for an error in all the routines it calls; if it does not do so, +unexpected and often random behavior results. This is an extremely +common source of bugs in C programs. An alternative would be to do a +non-local exit using @code{longjmp()}, but that is often very dangerous +because the routines that were exited past had no opportunity to clean +up after themselves and may leave things in an inconsistent state, +causing a crash shortly afterwards. + +Lisp provides mechanisms to make such non-local exits safe. When an +error occurs, a routine simply signals that an error of a particular +class has occurred, and a non-local exit takes place. Any routine can +trap errors occurring in routines it calls by registering an error +handler for some or all classes of errors. (If no handler is registered, +a default handler, generally installed by the top-level event loop, is +executed; this prints out the error and continues.) Routines can also +specify cleanup code (called an @dfn{unwind-protect}) that will be +called when control exits from a block of code, no matter how that exit +occurs -- i.e. even if a function deeply nested below it causes a +non-local exit back to the top level. + +Note that this facility has appeared in some recent vintages of C, in +particular Visual C++ and other PC compilers written for the Microsoft +Win32 API. + +@item +In Emacs Lisp, local variables are @dfn{dynamically scoped}. This means +that if you declare a local variable in a particular function, and then +call another function, that subfunction can ``see'' the local variable +you declared. This is actually considered a bug in Emacs Lisp and in +all other early dialects of Lisp, and was corrected in Common Lisp. (In +Common Lisp, you can still declare dynamically scoped variables if you +want to -- they are sometimes useful -- but variables by default are +@dfn{lexically scoped} as in C.) +@end enumerate + +For those familiar with Lisp, Emacs Lisp is modelled after MacLisp, an +early dialect of Lisp developed at MIT (no relation to the Macintosh +computer). There is a Common Lisp compatibility package available for +Emacs that provides many of the features of Common Lisp. + +The Java language is derived in many ways from C, and shares a similar +syntax, but has the following features in common with Lisp (and different +from C): + +@enumerate +@item +Java is a safe language, like Lisp. +@item +Java provides garbage collection, like Lisp. +@item +Java has built-in facilities for handling errors and exceptions, like +Lisp. +@item +Java has a type system that combines the best advantages of both static +and dynamic typing. Objects (except very simple types) are explicitly +marked with their type, as in dynamic typing; but there is a hierarchy +of types and functions are declared to accept only certain types, thus +providing the increased compile-time error-checking of static typing. +@end enumerate + +@node XEmacs From the Perspective of Building, XEmacs From the Inside, The Lisp Language, Top +@chapter XEmacs From the Perspective of Building + + The heart of XEmacs is the Lisp environment, which is written in C. +This is contained in the @file{src/} subdirectory. Underneath +@file{src/} are two subdirectories of header files: @file{s/} (header +files for particular operating systems) and @file{m/} (header files for +particular machine types). In practice the distinction between the two +types of header files is blurred. These header files define or undefine +certain preprocessor constants and macros to indicate particular +characteristics of the associated machine or operating system. As part +of the configure process, one @file{s/} file and one @file{m/} file is +identified for the particular environment in which XEmacs is being +built. + + XEmacs also contains a great deal of Lisp code. This implements the +operations that make XEmacs useful as an editor as well as just a +Lisp environment, and also contains many add-on packages that allow +XEmacs to browse directories, act as a mail and Usenet news reader, +compile Lisp code, etc. There is actually a lot more Lisp code than +C code associated with XEmacs, but much of the Lisp code is +peripheral to the actual operation of the editor. The Lisp code +all lies in subdirectories underneath the @file{lisp/} directory. + + The @file{lwlib/} directory contains C code that implements a +generalized interface onto different X widget toolkits and also +implements some widgets of its own that behave like Motif widgets but +are faster, free, and in some cases more powerful. The code in this +directory compiles into a library and is mostly independent from XEmacs. + + The @file{etc/} directory contains various data files associated with +XEmacs. Some of them are actually read by XEmacs at startup; others +merely contain useful information of various sorts. + + The @file{lib-src/} directory contains C code for various auxiliary +programs that are used in connection with XEmacs. Some of them are used +during the build process; others are used to perform certain functions +that cannot conveniently be placed in the XEmacs executable (e.g. the +@file{movemail} program for fetching mail out of /var/spool/mail, which +must be setgid to @file{mail} on many systems; and the 'gnuclient' +program, which allows an external script to communicate with a running +XEmacs process). + + The @file{man/} directory contains the sources for the XEmacs +documentation. It is mostly in a form called Texinfo, which can be +converted into either a printed document (by passing it through TeX) or +into on-line documentation called @dfn{info files}. + + The @file{info/} directory contains the results of formatting the +XEmacs documentation as @dfn{info files}, for on-line use. These files +are used when you enter the Info system using @kbd{C-h i} or through the +Help menu. + + The @file{dynodump/} directory contains auxiliary code used to build +XEmacs on Solaris platforms. + + The other directories contain various miscellaneous code and +information that is not normally used or needed. + + The first step of building involves running the @file{configure} +program and passing it various parameters to specify any optional +features you want and compiler arguments and such, as described in the +@file{INSTALL} file. This determines what the build environment is, +chooses the appropriate @file{s/} and @file{m/} file, and runs a series +of tests to determine many details about your environment, such as which +library functions are available and exactly how they work. (The +@file{s/} and @file{m/} files only contain information that cannot be +conveniently detected in this fashion.) The reason for running these +tests is that it allows XEmacs to be compiled on a much wider variety of +platforms than those that the XEmacs developers happen to be familiar +with, including various sorts of hybrid platforms. This is especially +important now that many operating systems give you a great deal of +control over exactly what features you want installed, and allow for +easy upgrading of parts of a system without upgrading the rest. It +would be impossible to pre-determine and pre-specify the information for +all possible configurations. + + When configure is done running, it generates @file{Makefile}s and the +file @file{config.h} (which describes the features of your system) from +template files. You then run @file{make}, which compiles the auxiliary +code and programs in @file{lib-src/} and @file{lwlib/} and the main +XEmacs executable in @file{src/}. The result of this is an executable +called @file{temacs}, which is @emph{not} the XEmacs executable. +@file{temacs} by itself cannot function as an editor or even display any +windows on the screen, and if you simply run it, it will exit +immediately. The Makefile runs @file{temacs} with certain options that +cause it to initialize itself, read in a number of basic Lisp files, and +then dump itself out into a new executable called @file{xemacs}. This +new executable has been pre-initialized and contains pre-digested Lisp +code that is necessary for the editor to function (this includes some +extremely basic Lisp functions, e.g. @code{not}, that can be defined in +terms of other Lisp primitives; some initialization code that is called +when certain objects, such as frames, are created; and all of the +standard keybindings and code for the actions they result in). This +executable, @file{xemacs}, is the executable that you run to use the +XEmacs editor. + +@node XEmacs From the Inside, The XEmacs Object System (Abstractly Speaking), XEmacs From the Perspective of Building, Top +@chapter XEmacs From the Inside + + Internally, XEmacs is quite complex, and can be very confusing. To +simplify things, it can be useful to think of XEmacs as containing an +event loop that ``drives'' everything, and a number of other subsystems, +such as a Lisp engine and a redisplay mechanism. Each of these others +subsystems exists simultaneously in XEmacs, and each has a certain +state. The flow of control continually passes in and out of these +different subsystems in the course of normal operation of the editor. + + It is important to keep in mind that, most of the time, the editor is +``driven'' by the event loop. Except during initialization and batch +mode, all subsystems are entered directly or indirectly through the +event loop, and ultimately, control exits out of all subsystems back up +to the event loop. This cycle of entering a subsystem, exiting back out +to the event loop, and starting another iteration of the event loop +occurs once each keystroke, mouse motion, etc. + + If you're trying to understand a particular subsystem (other than the +event loop), think of it as a ``daemon'' process or ``servant'' that is +responsible for one particular aspect of a larger system, and +periodically receives commands or environment changes that cause it to +do something. Ultimately, these commands and environment changes are +always triggered by the event loop. For example: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +The window and frame mechanism is responsible for keeping track of what +windows and frames exist, what buffers are in them, etc. It is +periodically given commands (usually from the user) to make a change to +the current window/frame state: i.e. create a new frame, delete a +window, etc. + +@item +The buffer mechanism is responsible for keeping track of what buffers +exist and what text is in them. It is periodically given commands +(usually from the user) to insert or delete text, create a buffer, etc. +When it receives a textual-change command, it tells the redisplay +mechanism about this. + +@item +The redisplay mechanism is responsible for making sure that windows and +frames are displayed correctly. It is periodically told (by the event +loop) to actually ``do its job'', i.e. snoop around and see what the +current state of the environment (mostly of the currently-existing +windows, frames, and buffers) is, and make sure that that state matches +what's actually displayed. It keeps lots and lots of information around +(such as what is actually being displayed currently, and what the +environment was last time it checked) so that it can minimize the work +it has to do. It is also helped along in that whenever a relevant +change to the environment occurs, the redisplay mechanism is told about +this, so it has a pretty good idea of where it has to look to find +possible changes and doesn't have to look everywhere. + +@item +The Lisp engine is responsible for executing the Lisp code in which most +user commands are written. It is entered through a call to @code{eval} +or @code{funcall}, which occurs as a result of dispatching an event from +the event loop. The functions it calls issue commands to the buffer +mechanism, the window/frame subsystem, etc. + +@item +The Lisp allocation subsystem is responsible for keeping track of Lisp +objects. It is given commands from the Lisp engine to allocate objects, +garbage collect, etc. +@end itemize + +etc. + + The important idea here is that there are a number of independent +subsystems each with their own responsibility and persistent state, just +like different employees in a company, and each subsystem is +periodically given commands from other subsystems. Commands can flow +from any one subsystem to any other, but there is usually some sort of +hierarchy, with all commands originating from the event subsystem. + + XEmacs is entered in @code{main()}, which is in @file{emacs.c}. When +this is called the first time (in a properly-invoked @file{temacs}), it +does the following: + +@enumerate +@item +It does some very basic environment initializations, such as determining +where it and its directories (e.g. @file{lisp/} and @file{etc/}) reside +and setting up signal handlers. +@item +It initializes the entire Lisp interpreter. +@item +It sets the initial values of many built-in variables (including many +variables that are visible to Lisp programs), such as the global keymap +object and the built-in faces (a face is an object that describes the +display characteristics of text). This involves creating Lisp objects +and thus is dependent on step (2). +@item +It performs various other initializations that are relevant to the +particular environment it is running in, such as retrieving environment +variables, determining the current date and the user who is running the +program, examining its standard input, creating any necessary file +descriptors, etc. +@item +At this point, the C initialization is complete. A Lisp program that +was specified on the command line (usually @file{loadup.el}) is called +(temacs is normally invoked as @code{temacs -batch -l loadup.el dump}). +@file{loadup.el} loads all of the other Lisp files that are needed for +the operation of the editor, calls the @code{dump-emacs} function to +write out @file{xemacs}, and then kills the temacs process. +@end enumerate + + When @file{xemacs} is then run, it only redoes steps (1) and (4) +above; all variables already contain the values they were set to when +the executable was dumped, and all memory that was allocated with +@code{malloc()} is still around. (XEmacs knows whether it is being run +as @file{xemacs} or @file{temacs} because it sets the global variable +@code{initialized} to 1 after step (4) above.) At this point, +@file{xemacs} calls a Lisp function to do any further initialization, +which includes parsing the command-line (the C code can only do limited +command-line parsing, which includes looking for the @samp{-batch} and +@samp{-l} flags and a few other flags that it needs to know about before +initialization is complete), creating the first frame (or @dfn{window} +in standard window-system parlance), running the user's init file +(usually the file @file{.emacs} in the user's home directory), etc. The +function to do this is usually called @code{normal-top-level}; +@file{loadup.el} tells the C code about this function by setting its +name as the value of the Lisp variable @code{top-level}. + + When the Lisp initialization code is done, the C code enters the event +loop, and stays there for the duration of the XEmacs process. The code +for the event loop is contained in @file{keyboard.c}, and is called +@code{Fcommand_loop_1()}. Note that this event loop could very well be +written in Lisp, and in fact a Lisp version exists; but apparently, +doing this makes XEmacs run noticeably slower. + + Notice how much of the initialization is done in Lisp, not in C. +In general, XEmacs tries to move as much code as is possible +into Lisp. Code that remains in C is code that implements the +Lisp interpreter itself, or code that needs to be very fast, or +code that needs to do system calls or other such stuff that +needs to be done in C, or code that needs to have access to +``forbidden'' structures. (One conscious aspect of the design of +Lisp under XEmacs is a clean separation between the external +interface to a Lisp object's functionality and its internal +implementation. Part of this design is that Lisp programs +are forbidden from accessing the contents of the object other +than through using a standard API. In this respect, XEmacs Lisp +is similar to modern Lisp dialects but differs from GNU Emacs, +which tends to expose the implementation and allow Lisp +programs to look at it directly. The major advantage of +hiding the implementation is that it allows the implementation +to be redesigned without affecting any Lisp programs, including +those that might want to be ``clever'' by looking directly at +the object's contents and possibly manipulating them.) + + Moving code into Lisp makes the code easier to debug and maintain and +makes it much easier for people who are not XEmacs developers to +customize XEmacs, because they can make a change with much less chance +of obscure and unwanted interactions occurring than if they were to +change the C code. + +@node The XEmacs Object System (Abstractly Speaking), How Lisp Objects Are Represented in C, XEmacs From the Inside, Top +@chapter The XEmacs Object System (Abstractly Speaking) + + At the heart of the Lisp interpreter is its management of objects. +XEmacs Lisp contains many built-in objects, some of which are +simple and others of which can be very complex; and some of which +are very common, and others of which are rarely used or are only +used internally. (Since the Lisp allocation system, with its +automatic reclamation of unused storage, is so much more convenient +than @code{malloc()} and @code{free()}, the C code makes extensive use of it +in its internal operations.) + + The basic Lisp objects are + +@table @code +@item integer +28 bits of precision, or 60 bits on 64-bit machines; the reason for this +is described below when the internal Lisp object representation is +described. +@item float +Same precision as a double in C. +@item cons +A simple container for two Lisp objects, used to implement lists and +most other data structures in Lisp. +@item char +An object representing a single character of text; chars behave like +integers in many ways but are logically considered text rather than +numbers and have a different read syntax. (the read syntax for a char +contains the char itself or some textual encoding of it -- for example, +a Japanese Kanji character might be encoded as @samp{^[$(B#&^[(B} using the +ISO-2022 encoding standard -- rather than the numerical representation +of the char; this way, if the mapping between chars and integers +changes, which is quite possible for Kanji characters and other extended +characters, the same character will still be created. Note that some +primitives confuse chars and integers. The worst culprit is @code{eq}, +which makes a special exception and considers a char to be @code{eq} to +its integer equivalent, even though in no other case are objects of two +different types @code{eq}. The reason for this monstrosity is +compatibility with existing code; the separation of char from integer +came fairly recently.) +@item symbol +An object that contains Lisp objects and is referred to by name; +symbols are used to implement variables and named functions +and to provide the equivalent of preprocessor constants in C. +@item vector +A one-dimensional array of Lisp objects providing constant-time access +to any of the objects; access to an arbitrary object in a vector is +faster than for lists, but the operations that can be done on a vector +are more limited. +@item string +Self-explanatory; behaves much like a vector of chars +but has a different read syntax and is stored and manipulated +more compactly and efficiently. +@item bit-vector +A vector of bits; similar to a string in spirit. +@item compiled-function +An object describing compiled Lisp code, known as @dfn{byte code}. +@item subr +An object describing a Lisp primitive. +@end table + +@cindex closure + Note that there is no basic ``function'' type, as in more powerful +versions of Lisp (where it's called a @dfn{closure}). XEmacs Lisp does +not provide the closure semantics implemented by Common Lisp and Scheme. +The guts of a function in XEmacs Lisp are represented in one of four +ways: a symbol specifying another function (when one function is an +alias for another), a list containing the function's source code, a +bytecode object, or a subr object. (In other words, given a symbol +specifying the name of a function, calling @code{symbol-function} to +retrieve the contents of the symbol's function cell will return one of +these types of objects.) + + XEmacs Lisp also contains numerous specialized objects used to +implement the editor: + +@table @asis +@item buffer +Stores text like a string, but is optimized for insertion and deletion +and has certain other properties that can be set. +@item frame +An object with various properties whose displayable representation is a +@dfn{window} in window-system parlance. +@item window +A section of a frame that displays the contents of a buffer; +often called a @dfn{pane} in window-system parlance. +@item window-configuration +An object that represents a saved configuration of windows in a frame. +@item device +An object representing a screen on which frames can be displayed; +equivalent to a @dfn{display} in the X Window System and a @dfn{TTY} in +character mode. +@item face +An object specifying the appearance of text or graphics; it contains +characteristics such as font, foreground color, and background color. +@item marker +An object that refers to a particular position in a buffer and moves +around as text is inserted and deleted to stay in the same relative +position to the text around it. +@item extent +Similar to a marker but covers a range of text in a buffer; can also +specify properties of the text, such as a face in which the text is to +be displayed, whether the text is invisible or unmodifiable, etc. +@item event +Generated by calling @code{next-event} and contains information +describing a particular event happening in the system, such as the user +pressing a key or a process terminating. +@item keymap +An object that maps from events (described using lists, vectors, and +symbols rather than with an event object because the mapping is for +classes of events, rather than individual events) to functions to +execute or other events to recursively look up; the functions are +described by name, using a symbol, or using lists to specify the +function's code. +@item glyph +An object that describes the appearance of an image (e.g. pixmap) on +the screen; glyphs can be attached to the beginning or end of extents +and in some future version of XEmacs will be able to be inserted +directly into a buffer. +@item process +An object that describes a connection to an externally-running process. +@end table + + There are some other, less-commonly-encountered general objects: + +@table @asis +@item hashtable +An object that maps from an arbitrary Lisp object to another arbitrary +Lisp object, using hashing for fast lookup. +@item obarray +A limited form of hashtable that maps from strings to symbols; obarrays +are used to look up a symbol given its name and are not actually their +own object type but are kludgily represented using vectors with hidden +fields (this representation derives from GNU Emacs). +@item specifier +A complex object used to specify the value of a display property; a +default value is given and different values can be specified for +particular frames, buffers, windows, devices, or classes of device. +@item char-table +An object that maps from chars or classes of chars to arbitrary Lisp +objects; internally char tables use a complex nested-vector +representation that is optimized to the way characters are represented +as integers. +@item range-table +An object that maps from ranges of integers to arbitrary Lisp objects. +@end table + + And some strange special-purpose objects: + +@table @asis +@item charset +@itemx coding-system +Objects used when MULE, or multi-lingual/Asian-language, support is +enabled. +@item color-instance +@itemx font-instance +@itemx image-instance +An object that encapsulates a window-system resource; instances are +mostly used internally but are exposed on the Lisp level for cleanness +of the specifier model and because it's occasionally useful for Lisp +program to create or query the properties of instances. +@item subwindow +An object that encapsulate a @dfn{subwindow} resource, i.e. a +window-system child window that is drawn into by an external process; +this object should be integrated into the glyph system but isn't yet, +and may change form when this is done. +@item tooltalk-message +@itemx tooltalk-pattern +Objects that represent resources used in the ToolTalk interprocess +communication protocol. +@item toolbar-button +An object used in conjunction with the toolbar. +@item x-resource +An object that encapsulates certain miscellaneous resources in the X +window system, used only when Epoch support is enabled. +@end table + + And objects that are only used internally: + +@table @asis +@item opaque +A generic object for encapsulating arbitrary memory; this allows you the +generality of @code{malloc()} and the convenience of the Lisp object +system. +@item lstream +A buffering I/O stream, used to provide a unified interface to anything +that can accept output or provide input, such as a file descriptor, a +stdio stream, a chunk of memory, a Lisp buffer, a Lisp string, etc.; +it's a Lisp object to make its memory management more convenient. +@item char-table-entry +Subsidiary objects in the internal char-table representation. +@item extent-auxiliary +@itemx menubar-data +@itemx toolbar-data +Various special-purpose objects that are basically just used to +encapsulate memory for particular subsystems, similar to the more +general ``opaque'' object. +@item symbol-value-forward +@itemx symbol-value-buffer-local +@itemx symbol-value-varalias +@itemx symbol-value-lisp-magic +Special internal-only objects that are placed in the value cell of a +symbol to indicate that there is something special with this variable -- +e.g. it has no value, it mirrors another variable, or it mirrors some C +variable; there is really only one kind of object, called a +@dfn{symbol-value-magic}, but it is sort-of halfway kludged into +semi-different object types. +@end table + +@cindex permanent objects +@cindex temporary objects + Some types of objects are @dfn{permanent}, meaning that once created, +they do not disappear until explicitly destroyed, using a function such +as @code{delete-buffer}, @code{delete-window}, @code{delete-frame}, etc. +Others will disappear once they are not longer used, through the garbage +collection mechanism. Buffers, frames, windows, devices, and processes +are among the objects that are permanent. Note that some objects can go +both ways: Faces can be created either way; extents are normally +permanent, but detached extents (extents not referring to any text, as +happens to some extents when the text they are referring to is deleted) +are temporary. Note that some permanent objects, such as faces and +coding systems, cannot be deleted. Note also that windows are unique in +that they can be @emph{undeleted} after having previously been +deleted. (This happens as a result of restoring a window configuration.) + +@cindex read syntax + Note that many types of objects have a @dfn{read syntax}, i.e. a way of +specifying an object of that type in Lisp code. When you load a Lisp +file, or type in code to be evaluated, what really happens is that the +function @code{read} is called, which reads some text and creates an object +based on the syntax of that text; then @code{eval} is called, which +possibly does something special; then this loop repeats until there's +no more text to read. (@code{eval} only actually does something special +with symbols, which causes the symbol's value to be returned, +similar to referencing a variable; and with conses [i.e. lists], +which cause a function invocation. All other values are returned +unchanged.) + + The read syntax + +@example +17297 +@end example + +converts to an integer whose value is 17297. + +@example +1.983e-4 +@end example + +converts to a float whose value is 1983.23e-4, or .0001983. + +@example +?b +@end example + +converts to a char that represents the lowercase letter b. + +@example +?^[$(B#&^[(B +@end example + +(where @samp{^[} actually is an @samp{ESC} character) converts to a +particular Kanji character. (To decode this gook: @samp{ESC} begins an +escape sequence; @samp{ESC $ (} is a class of escape sequences meaning +``switch to a 94x94 character set''; @samp{ESC $ ( B} means ``switch to +Japanese Kanji''; @samp{#} and @samp{&} collectively index into a +94-by-94 array of characters [subtract 33 from the ASCII value of each +character to get the corresponding index]; @samp{ESC (} is a class of +escape sequences meaning ``switch to a 94 character set''; @samp{ESC (B} +means ``switch to US ASCII''. It is a coincidence that the letter +@samp{B} is used to denote both Japanese Kanji and US ASCII. If the +first @samp{B} were replaced with an @samp{A}, you'd be requesting a +Chinese Hanzi character from the GB2312 character set.) + +@example +"foobar" +@end example + +converts to a string. + +@example +foobar +@end example + +converts to a symbol whose name is @code{"foobar"}. This is done by +looking up the string equivalent in the global variable +@code{obarray}, whose contents should be an obarray. If no symbol +is found, a new symbol with the name @code{"foobar"} is automatically +created and adding it to @code{obarray}; this process is called +@dfn{interning} the symbol. +@cindex interning + +@example +(foo . bar) +@end example + +converts to a cons cell containing the symbols @code{foo} and @code{bar}. + +@example +(1 a 2.5) +@end example + +converts to a three-element list containing the specified objects +(note that a list is actually a set of nested conses; see the +XEmacs Lisp Reference). + +@example +[1 a 2.5] +@end example + +converts to a three-element vector containing the specified objects. + +@example +#[... ... ... ...] +@end example + +converts to a compiled-function object (the actual contents are not +shown since they are not relevant here; look at a file that ends with +@file{.elc} for examples). + +@example +#*01110110 +@end example + +converts to a bit-vector. + +@example +#s(range-table ... ...) +@end example + +converts to a range table (the actual contents are not shown). + +@example +#s(char-table ... ...) +@end example + +converts to a char table (the actual contents are not shown). +(Note that the #s syntax is the general syntax for structures, +which are not really implemented in XEmacs Lisp but should be.) + + When an object is printed out (using @code{print} or a related +function), the read syntax is used, so that the same object can be read +in again. + + The other objects do not have read syntaxes, usually because it does +not really make sense to create them in this fashion (i.e. processes, +where it doesn't make sense to have a subprocess created as a side +effect of reading some Lisp code), or because they can't be created at +all (e.g. subrs). Permanent objects, as a rule, do not have a read +syntax; nor do most complex objects, which contain too much state to be +easily initialized through a read syntax. + +@node How Lisp Objects Are Represented in C, Rules When Writing New C Code, The XEmacs Object System (Abstractly Speaking), Top +@chapter How Lisp Objects Are Represented in C + + Lisp objects are represented in C using a 32- or 64-bit machine word +(depending on the processor; i.e. DEC Alphas use 64-bit Lisp objects and +most other processors use 32-bit Lisp objects). The representation +stuffs a pointer together with a tag, as follows: + +@example + [ 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ] + [ 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ] + + ^ <---> <------------------------------------------------------> + | tag a pointer to a structure, or an integer + | + `---> mark bit +@end example + + The tag describes the type of the Lisp object. For integers and +chars, the lower 28 bits contain the value of the integer or char; for +all others, the lower 28 bits contain a pointer. The mark bit is used +during garbage-collection, and is always 0 when garbage collection is +not happening. Many macros that extract out parts of a Lisp object +expect that the mark bit is 0, and will produce incorrect results if +it's not. (The way that garbage collection works, basically, is that it +loops over all places where Lisp objects could exist -- this includes +all global variables in C that contain Lisp objects [including +@code{Vobarray}, the C equivalent of @code{obarray}; through this, all +Lisp variables will get marked], plus various other places -- and +recursively scans through the Lisp objects, marking each object it finds +by setting the mark bit. Then it goes through the lists of all objects +allocated, freeing the ones that are not marked and turning off the +mark bit of the ones that are marked.) + + Lisp objects use the typedef @code{Lisp_Object}, but the actual C type +used for the Lisp object can vary. It can be either a simple type +(@code{long} on the DEC Alpha, @code{int} on other machines) or a +structure whose fields are bit fields that line up properly (actually, +it's a union of structures that's used). Generally the simple integral +type is preferable because it ensures that the compiler will actually +use a machine word to represent the object (some compilers will use more +general and less efficient code for unions and structs even if they can +fit in a machine word). The union type, however, has the advantage of +stricter type checking (if you accidentally pass an integer where a Lisp +object is desired, you get a compile error), and it makes it easier to +decode Lisp objects when debugging. The choice of which type to use is +determined by the presence or absence of the preprocessor constant +@code{NO_UNION_TYPE}. (Shouldn't it be @code{USE_UNION_TYPE}, with +opposite semantics? ``Hysterical reasons'', of course.) + +@cindex record type + Note that there are only eight types that the tag can represent, +but many more actual types than this. This is handled by having +one of the tag types specify a meta-object called a @dfn{record}; +for all such objects, the first four bytes of the pointed-to +structure indicate what the actual type is. + + Note also that having 28 bits for pointers and integers restricts a +lot of things to 256 megabytes of memory. (Basically, enough pointers +and indices and whatnot get stuffed into Lisp objects that the total +amount of memory used by XEmacs can't grow above 256 megabytes. In +older versions of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, the tag was 5 bits wide, +allowing for 32 types, which was more than the actual number of types +that existed at the time, and no ``record'' type was necessary. +However, this limited the editor to 64 megabytes total, which some users +who edited large files might conceivably exceed.) + + Also, note that there is an implicit assumption here that all pointers +are low enough that the top bits are all zero and can just be chopped +off. On standard machines that allocate memory from the bottom up (and +give each process its own address space), this works fine. Some +machines, however, put the data space somewhere else in memory +(e.g. beginning at 0x80000000). Those machines cope by defining +@code{DATA_SEG_BITS} in the corresponding @file{m/} or @file{s/} file to +the proper mask. Then, pointers retrieved from Lisp objects are +automatically OR'ed with this value prior to being used. + + A corollary of the previous paragraph is that @strong{stack-allocated +structures cannot be put into Lisp objects}. The stack is generally +located near the top of memory; if you put such a pointer into a Lisp +object, it will get its top bits chopped off, and you will lose. + + Various macros are used to construct Lisp objects and extract the +components. Macros of the form @code{XINT()}, @code{XCHAR()}, +@code{XSTRING()}, @code{XSYMBOL()}, etc. mask out the pointer/integer +field and cast it to the appropriate type. All of the macros that +construct pointers will @code{OR} with @code{DATA_SEG_BITS} if +necessary. @code{XINT()} needs to be a bit tricky so that negative +numbers are properly sign-extended: Usually it does this by shifting the +number four bits to the left and then four bits to the right. This +assumes that the right-shift operator does an arithmetic shift (i.e. it +leaves the most-significant bit as-is rather than shifting in a zero, so +that it mimics a divide-by-two even for negative numbers). Not all +machines/compilers do this, and on the ones that don't, a more +complicated definition is selected by defining +@code{EXPLICIT_SIGN_EXTEND}. + + Note that when @code{ERROR_CHECK_TYPECHECK} is defined, the extractor +macros become more complicated -- they check the tag bits and/or the +type field in the first four bytes of a record type to ensure that the +object is really of the correct type. This is great for catching places +where an incorrect type is being dereferenced -- this typically results +in a pointer being dereferenced as the wrong type of structure, with +unpredictable (and sometimes not easily traceable) results. + + There are similar @code{XSET()} macros that construct a Lisp object. +These macros are of the form @code{XSET (@var{lvalue}, @var{result})}, +i.e. they have to be a statement rather than just used in an expression. +The reason for this is that standard C doesn't let you ``construct'' a +structure (but GCC does). Granted, this sometimes isn't too convenient; +for the case of integers, at least, you can use the function +@code{make_number()}, which constructs and @emph{returns} an integer +Lisp object. Note that the @code{XSET()} macros are also affected by +@code{ERROR_CHECK_TYPECHECK} and make sure that the structure is of the right +type in the case of record types, where the type is contained in +the structure. + +@node Rules When Writing New C Code, A Summary of the Various XEmacs Modules, How Lisp Objects Are Represented in C, Top +@chapter Rules When Writing New C Code + + The XEmacs C Code is extremely complex and intricate, and there are +many rules that are more or less consistently followed throughout the code. +Many of these rules are not obvious, so they are explained here. It is +of the utmost importance that you follow them. If you don't, you may get +something that appears to work, but which will crash in odd situations, +often in code far away from where the actual breakage is. + +@menu +* General Coding Rules:: +* Writing Lisp Primitives:: +* Adding Global Lisp Variables:: +@end menu + +@node General Coding Rules +@section General Coding Rules + + Almost every module contains a @code{syms_of_*()} function and a +@code{vars_of_*()} function. The former declares any Lisp primitives +you have defined and defines any symbols you will be using. The latter +declares any global Lisp variables you have added and initializes global +C variables in the module. For each such function, declare it in +@file{symsinit.h} and make sure it's called in the appropriate place in +@code{main()}. @strong{Important}: There are stringent requirements on +exactly what can go into these functions. See the comment in +@code{main()}. The reason for this is to avoid obscure unwanted +interactions during initialization. If you don't follow these rules, +you'll be sorry! If you want to do anything that isn't allowed, create +a @code{complex_vars_of_*()} function for it. Doing this is tricky, +though: You have to make sure your function is called at the right time +so that all the initialization dependencies work out. + + Every module includes @file{<config.h>} (angle brackets so that +@samp{--srcdir} works correctly) and @file{lisp.h}. @file{config.h} +should always be included before any other header files (including +system header files) to ensure that certain tricks played by various +@file{s/} and @file{m/} files work out correctly. + + @strong{All global and static variables that are to be modifiable must +be declared uninitialized.} This means that you may not use the ``declare +with initializer'' form for these variables, such as @code{int +some_variable = 0;}. The reason for this has to do with some kludges +done during the dumping process: If possible, the initialized data +segment is re-mapped so that it becomes part of the (unmodifiable) code +segment in the dumped executable. This allows this memory to be shared +among multiple running XEmacs processes. XEmacs is careful to place as +much constant data as possible into initialized variables (in +particular, into what's called the @dfn{pure space} -- see below) during +the @file{temacs} phase. + +@cindex copy-on-write + @strong{Note:} This kludge only works on a few systems nowadays, and is +rapidly becoming irrelevant because most modern operating systems provide +@dfn{copy-on-write} semantics. All data is initially shared between +processes, and a private copy is automatically made (on a page-by-page +basis) when a process first attempts to write to a page of memory. + + Formerly, there was a requirement that static variables not be +declared inside of functions. This had to do with another hack along +the same vein as what was just described: old USG systems put +statically-declared variables in the initialized data space, so those +header files had a @code{#define static} declaration. (That way, the +data-segment remapping described above could still work.) This fails +badly on static variables inside of functions, which suddenly become +automatic variables; therefore, you weren't supposed to have any of +them. This awful kludge has been removed in XEmacs because + +@enumerate +@item +almost all of the systems that used this kludge ended up having +to disable the data-segment remapping anyway; +@item +the only systems that didn't were extremely outdated ones; +@item +this hack completely messed up inline functions. +@end enumerate + +@node Writing Lisp Primitives +@section Writing Lisp Primitives + + Lisp primitives are Lisp functions implemented in C. The details of +interfacing the C function so that Lisp can call it are handled by a few +C macros. The only way to really understand how to write new C code is +to read the source, but we can explain some things here. + + An example of a special form is the definition of @code{or}, from +@file{eval.c}. (An ordinary function would have the same general +appearance.) + +@cindex garbage collection protection +@smallexample +@group +DEFUN ("or", For, Sor, 0, UNEVALLED, 0 /* +Eval args until one of them yields non-nil, then return that value. +The remaining args are not evalled at all. +@end group +@group +If all args return nil, return nil. +*/ ) + (args) + Lisp_Object args; +@{ + /* This function can GC */ + REGISTER Lisp_Object val; + Lisp_Object args_left; + struct gcpro gcpro1; +@end group + +@group + if (NILP (args)) + return Qnil; + + args_left = args; + GCPRO1 (args_left); +@end group + +@group + do + @{ + val = Feval (Fcar (args_left)); + if (!NILP (val)) + break; + args_left = Fcdr (args_left); + @} + while (!NILP (args_left)); +@end group + +@group + UNGCPRO; + return val; +@} +@end group +@end smallexample + + Let's start with a precise explanation of the arguments to the +@code{DEFUN} macro. Here is a template for them: + +@example +DEFUN (@var{lname}, @var{fname}, @var{sname}, @var{min}, @var{max}, @var{interactive} /* @var{doc} */ ) +@end example + +@table @var +@item lname +This is the name of the Lisp symbol to define as the function name; in +the example above, it is @code{or}. + +@item fname +This is the C function name for this function. This is +the name that is used in C code for calling the function. The name is, +by convention, @samp{F} prepended to the Lisp name, with all dashes +(@samp{-}) in the Lisp name changed to underscores. Thus, to call this +function from C code, call @code{For}. Remember that the arguments must +be of type @code{Lisp_Object}; various macros and functions for creating +values of type @code{Lisp_Object} are declared in the file +@file{lisp.h}. + +Primitives whose names are special characters (e.g. @code{+} or +@code{<}) are named by spelling out, in some fashion, the special +character: e.g. @code{Fplus()} or @code{Flss()}. Primitives whose names +begin with normal alphanumeric characters but also contain special +characters are spelled out in some creative way, e.g. @code{let*} +becomes @code{FletX()}. + +@item sname +This is a C variable name to use for a structure that holds the data for +the subr object that represents the function in Lisp. This structure +conveys the Lisp symbol name to the initialization routine that will +create the symbol and store the subr object as its definition. By +convention, this name is always @var{fname} with @samp{F} replaced with +@samp{S}. + +@item min +This is the minimum number of arguments that the function requires. The +function @code{or} allows a minimum of zero arguments. + +@item max +This is the maximum number of arguments that the function accepts, if +there is a fixed maximum. Alternatively, it can be @code{UNEVALLED}, +indicating a special form that receives unevaluated arguments, or +@code{MANY}, indicating an unlimited number of evaluated arguments (the +equivalent of @code{&rest}). Both @code{UNEVALLED} and @code{MANY} are +macros. If @var{max} is a number, it may not be less than @var{min} and +it may not be greater than 12. (If you need to add a function with +more than 12 arguments, either use the @code{MANY} form or edit the +definition of @code{DEFUN} in @file{lisp.h}. If you do the latter, +make sure to also add another clause to the switch statement in +@code{primitive_funcall().}) + +@item interactive +This is an interactive specification, a string such as might be used as +the argument of @code{interactive} in a Lisp function. In the case of +@code{or}, it is 0 (a null pointer), indicating that @code{or} cannot be +called interactively. A value of @code{""} indicates a function that +should receive no arguments when called interactively. + +@item doc +This is the documentation string. It is written just like a +documentation string for a function defined in Lisp; in particular, +the first line should be a single sentence. Note how the documentation +string is enclosed in a comment, none of the documentation is placed +on the same lines as the comment-start and comment-end characters, and +the comment-start characters are on the same line as the interactive +specification. @file{make-docfile}, which scans the C files for +documentation strings, is very particular about what it looks for, +and will not properly note the doc string if it's not in this exact +format. +@end table + + You are free to put the various arguments to @code{DEFUN} on separate +lines to avoid overly long lines. However, make sure to put the +comment-start characters for the doc string on the same line as the +interactive specification, and put a newline directly after them +(and before the comment-end characters). + + After the call to the @code{DEFUN} macro, you must write the argument +name list that every C function must have, followed by ordinary C +declarations for the arguments. For a function with a fixed maximum +number of arguments, declare a C argument for each Lisp argument, and +give them all type @code{Lisp_Object}. When a Lisp function has no +upper limit on the number of arguments, its implementation in C actually +receives exactly two arguments: the first is the number of Lisp +arguments, and the second is the address of a block containing their +values. They have types @code{int} and @w{@code{Lisp_Object *}}. + + The names of the C arguments will be used as the names of the arguments +to the Lisp primitive as displayed in its documentation, modulo the +same concerns described above for @code{F...} names (in particular, +underscores in the C arguments become dashes in the Lisp arguments). +There is one additional kludge: A C argument called @code{defalt} +becomes the Lisp argument @code{default}. This deliberate misspelling +is done because @code{default} is a reserved word in the C language. + + Note that you @emph{must} use old-style prototypes for the arguments +to @code{DEFUN}, even though all other functions in the C code use +new-style prototypes. + + Within the function @code{For} itself, note the use of the macros +@code{GCPRO1} and @code{UNGCPRO}. @code{GCPRO1} is used to ``protect'' +a variable from garbage collection---to inform the garbage collector +that it must look in that variable and regard its contents as an +accessible object. This is necessary whenever you call @code{Feval} or +anything that can directly or indirectly call @code{Feval} (this +includes the @code{QUIT} macro!). At such a time, any Lisp object that +you intend to refer to again must be protected somehow. @code{UNGCPRO} +cancels the protection of the variables that are protected in the +current function. It is necessary to do this explicitly. + + The macro @code{GCPRO1} protects just one local variable. If you want +to protect two, use @code{GCPRO2} instead; repeating @code{GCPRO1} will +not work. Macros @code{GCPRO3} and @code{GCPRO4} also exist. + + These macros implicitly use local variables such as @code{gcpro1}; you +must declare these explicitly, with type @code{struct gcpro}. Thus, if +you use @code{GCPRO2}, you must declare @code{gcpro1} and @code{gcpro2}. + +@cindex caller-protects (@code{GCPRO} rule) + Note also that the general rule is @dfn{caller-protects}; i.e. you +are only responsible for protecting those Lisp objects that you create. +Any objects passed to you as parameters should have been protected +by whoever created them, so you don't in general have to protect them. +@code{For} is an exception; it protects its parameters to provide +extra assurance against Lisp primitives elsewhere that are incorrectly +written, and against malicious self-modifying code. There are a few +other standard functions that also do this. + +@code{GCPRO}ing is perhaps the trickiest and most error-prone part +of XEmacs coding. It is @strong{extremely} important that you get this +right and use a great deal of discipline when writing this code. +@xref{GCPROing, ,@code{GCPRO}ing}, for full details on how to do this. + + What @code{DEFUN} actually does is declare a global structure of +type @code{Lisp_Subr} whose name begins with a capital @samp{S} and +which contains information about the primitive (e.g. a pointer to the +function, its minimum and maximum allowed arguments, a string describing +its Lisp name); @code{DEFUN} then begins a normal C function +declaration using the @code{F...} name. The Lisp subr object that is +the function definition of a primitive (i.e. the object in the function +slot of the symbol that names the primitive) actually points to this +@samp{S} structure; when @code{Feval} encounters a subr, it looks in the +structure to find out how to call the C function. + + Defining the C function is not enough to make a Lisp primitive +available; you must also create the Lisp symbol for the primitive (the +symbol is @dfn{interned}; @pxref{Obarrays}) and store a suitable subr +object in its function cell. (If you don't do this, the primitive won't +be seen by Lisp code.) The code looks like this: + +@example +defsubr (&@var{subr-structure-name}); +@end example + +@noindent +Here @var{subr-structure-name} is the name you used as the third +argument to @code{DEFUN}. + + This call to @code{defsubr} should go in the @code{syms_of_*()} +function at the end of the module. If no such function exists, create +it and make sure to also declare it in @file{symsinit.h} and call it +from the appropriate spot in @code{main()}. @xref{General Coding +Rules}. + + Note that C code cannot call functions by name unless they are defined +in C. The way to call a function written in Lisp is to use +@code{Ffuncall}, which embodies the Lisp function @code{funcall}. Since +the Lisp function @code{funcall} accepts an unlimited number of +arguments, in C it takes two: the number of Lisp-level arguments, and a +one-dimensional array containing their values. The first Lisp-level +argument is the Lisp function to call, and the rest are the arguments to +pass to it. Since @code{Ffuncall} can call the evaluator, you must +protect pointers from garbage collection around the call to +@code{Ffuncall}. (However, @code{Ffuncall} explicitly protects all of +its parameters, so you don't have to protect any pointers passed +as parameters to it.) + + The C functions @code{call0}, @code{call1}, @code{call2}, and so on, +provide handy ways to call a Lisp function conveniently with a fixed +number of arguments. They work by calling @code{Ffuncall}. + + @file{eval.c} is a very good file to look through for examples; +@file{lisp.h} contains the definitions for some important macros and +functions. + +@node Adding Global Lisp Variables +@section Adding Global Lisp Variables + + Global variables whose names begin with @samp{Q} are constants whose +value is a symbol of a particular name. The name of the variable should +be derived from the name of the symbol using the same rules as for Lisp +primitives. These variables are initialized using a call to +@code{defsymbol()} in the @code{syms_of_*()} function. (This call +interns a symbol, sets the C variable to the resulting Lisp object, and +calls @code{staticpro()} on the C variable to tell the +garbage-collection mechanism about this variable. What +@code{staticpro()} does is add a pointer to the variable to a large +global array; when garbage-collection happens, all pointers listed in +the array are used as starting points for marking Lisp objects. This is +important because it's quite possible that the only current reference to +the object is the C variable. In the case of symbols, the +@code{staticpro()} doesn't matter all that much because the symbol is +contained in @code{obarray}, which is itself @code{staticpro()}ed. +However, it's possible that a naughty user could do something like +uninterning the symbol out of @code{obarray} or even setting +@code{obarray} to a different value [although this is likely to make +XEmacs crash!].) + + @strong{Note:} It is potentially deadly if you declare a @samp{Q...} +variable in two different modules. The two calls to @code{defsymbol()} +are no problem, but some linkers will complain about multiply-defined +symbols. The most insidious aspect of this is that often the link will +succeed anyway, but then the resulting executable will sometimes crash +in obscure ways during certain operations! To avoid this problem, +declare any symbols with common names (such as @code{text}) that are not +obviously associated with this particular module in the module +@file{general.c}. + + Global variables whose names begin with @samp{V} are variables that +contain Lisp objects. The convention here is that all global variables +of type @code{Lisp_Object} begin with @samp{V}, and all others don't +(including integer and boolean variables that have Lisp +equivalents). Most of the time, these variables have equivalents in +Lisp, but some don't. Those that do are declared this way by a call to +@code{DEFVAR_LISP()} in the @code{vars_of_*()} initializer for the +module. What this does is create a special @dfn{symbol-value-forward} +Lisp object that contains a pointer to the C variable, intern a symbol +whose name is as specified in the call to @code{DEFVAR_LISP()}, and set +its value to the symbol-value-forward Lisp object; it also calls +@code{staticpro()} on the C variable to tell the garbage-collection +mechanism about the variable. When @code{eval} (or actually +@code{symbol-value}) encounters this special object in the process of +retrieving a variable's value, it follows the indirection to the C +variable and gets its value. @code{setq} does similar things so that +the C variable gets changed. + + Whether or not you @code{DEFVAR_LISP()} a variable, you need to +initialize it in the @code{vars_of_*()} function; otherwise it will end +up as all zeroes, which is the integer 0 (@emph{not} @code{nil}), and +this is probably not what you want. Also, if the variable is not +@code{DEFVAR_LISP()}ed, @strong{you must call} @code{staticpro()} on the +C variable in the @code{vars_of_*()} function. Otherwise, the +garbage-collection mechanism won't know that the object in this variable +is in use, and will happily collect it and reuse its storage for another +Lisp object, and you will be the one who's unhappy when you can't figure +out how your variable got overwritten. + +@node A Summary of the Various XEmacs Modules, Allocation of Objects in XEmacs Lisp, Rules When Writing New C Code, Top +@chapter A Summary of the Various XEmacs Modules + + This is accurate as of XEmacs 20.0. + +@menu +* Low-Level Modules:: +* Basic Lisp Modules:: +* Modules for Standard Editing Operations:: +* Editor-Level Control Flow Modules:: +* Modules for the Basic Displayable Lisp Objects:: +* Modules for other Display-Related Lisp Objects:: +* Modules for the Redisplay Mechanism:: +* Modules for Interfacing with the File System:: +* Modules for Other Aspects of the Lisp Interpreter and Object System:: +* Modules for Interfacing with the Operating System:: +* Modules for Interfacing with X Windows:: +* Modules for Internationalization:: +@end menu + +@node Low-Level Modules +@section Low-Level Modules + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 18150 config.h +@end example + +This is automatically generated from @file{config.h.in} based on the +results of configure tests and user-selected optional features and +contains preprocessor definitions specifying the nature of the +environment in which XEmacs is being compiled. + + + +@example + 2347 paths.h +@end example + +This is automatically generated from @file{paths.h.in} based on supplied +configure values, and allows for non-standard installed configurations +of the XEmacs directories. It's currently broken, though. + + + +@example + 47878 emacs.c + 20239 signal.c +@end example + +@file{emacs.c} contains @code{main()} and other code that performs the most +basic environment initializations and handles shutting down the XEmacs +process (this includes @code{kill-emacs}, the normal way that XEmacs is +exited; @code{dump-emacs}, which is used during the build process to +write out the XEmacs executable; @code{run-emacs-from-temacs}, which can +be used to start XEmacs directly when temacs has finished loading all +the Lisp code; and emergency code to handle crashes [XEmacs tries to +auto-save all files before it crashes]). + +Low-level code that directly interacts with the Unix signal mechanism, +however, is in @file{signal.c}. Note that this code does not handle system +dependencies in interfacing to signals; that is handled using the +@file{syssignal.h} header file, described in section J below. + + + +@example + 23458 unexaix.c + 9893 unexalpha.c + 11302 unexapollo.c + 16544 unexconvex.c + 31967 unexec.c + 30959 unexelf.c + 35791 unexelfsgi.c + 3207 unexencap.c + 7276 unexenix.c + 20539 unexfreebsd.c + 1153 unexfx2800.c + 13432 unexhp9k3.c + 11049 unexhp9k800.c + 9165 unexmips.c + 8981 unexnext.c + 1673 unexsol2.c + 19261 unexsunos4.c +@end example + +These modules contain code dumping out the XEmacs executable on various +different systems. (This process is highly machine-specific and +requires intimate knowledge of the executable format and the memory map +of the process.) Only one of these modules is actually used; this is +chosen by @file{configure}. + + + +@example + 15715 crt0.c + 1484 lastfile.c + 1115 pre-crt0.c +@end example + +These modules are used in conjunction with the dump mechanism. On some +systems, an alternative version of the C startup code (the actual code +that receives control from the operating system when the process is +started, and which calls @code{main()}) is required so that the dumping +process works properly; @file{crt0.c} provides this. + +@file{pre-crt0.c} and @file{lastfile.c} should be the very first and +very last file linked, respectively. (Actually, this is not really true. +@file{lastfile.c} should be after all Emacs modules whose initialized +data should be made constant, and before all other Emacs files and all +libraries. In particular, the allocation modules @file{gmalloc.c}, +@file{alloca.c}, etc. are normally placed past @file{lastfile.c}, and +all of the files that implement Xt widget classes @emph{must} be placed +after @file{lastfile.c} because they contain various structures that +must be statically initialized and into which Xt writes at various +times.) @file{pre-crt0.c} and @file{lastfile.c} contain exported symbols +that are used to determine the start and end of XEmacs's initialized +data space when dumping. + + + +@example + 14786 alloca.c + 16678 free-hook.c + 1692 getpagesize.h + 41936 gmalloc.c + 25141 malloc.c + 3802 mem-limits.h + 39011 ralloc.c + 3436 vm-limit.c +@end example + +These handle basic C allocation of memory. @file{alloca.c} is an emulation of +the stack allocation function @code{alloca()} on machines that lack +this. (XEmacs makes extensive use of @code{alloca()} in its code.) + +@file{gmalloc.c} and @file{malloc.c} are two implementations of the standard C +functions @code{malloc()}, @code{realloc()} and @code{free()}. They are +often used in place of the standard system-provided @code{malloc()} +because they usually provide a much faster implementation, at the +expense of additional memory use. @file{gmalloc.c} is a newer implementation +that is much more memory-efficient for large allocations than @file{malloc.c}, +and should always be preferred if it works. (At one point, @file{gmalloc.c} +didn't work on some systems where @file{malloc.c} worked; but this should be +fixed now.) + +@cindex relocating allocator +@file{ralloc.c} is the @dfn{relocating allocator}. It provides functions +similar to @code{malloc()}, @code{realloc()} and @code{free()} that allocate +memory that can be dynamically relocated in memory. The advantage of +this is that allocated memory can be shuffled around to place all the +free memory at the end of the heap, and the heap can then be shrunk, +releasing the memory back to the operating system. The use of this can +be controlled with the configure option @code{--rel-alloc}; if enabled, memory allocated for +buffers will be relocatable, so that if a very large file is visited and +the buffer is later killed, the memory can be released to the operating +system. (The disadvantage of this mechanism is that it can be very +slow. On systems with the @code{mmap()} system call, the XEmacs version +of @file{ralloc.c} uses this to move memory around without actually having to +block-copy it, which can speed things up; but it can still cause +noticeable performance degradation.) + +@file{free-hook.c} contains some debugging functions for checking for invalid +arguments to @code{free()}. + +@file{vm-limit.c} contains some functions that warn the user when memory is +getting low. These are callback functions that are called by @file{gmalloc.c} +and @file{malloc.c} at appropriate times. + +@file{getpagesize.h} provides a uniform interface for retrieving the size of a +page in virtual memory. @file{mem-limits.h} provides a uniform interface for +retrieving the total amount of available virtual memory. Both are +similar in spirit to the @file{sys*.h} files described in section J, below. + + + +@example + 2659 blocktype.c + 1410 blocktype.h + 7194 dynarr.c + 2671 dynarr.h +@end example + +These implement a couple of basic C data types to facilitate memory +allocation. The @code{Blocktype} type efficiently manages the +allocation of fixed-size blocks by minimizing the number of times that +@code{malloc()} and @code{free()} are called. It allocates memory in +large chunks, subdivides the chunks into blocks of the proper size, and +returns the blocks as requested. When blocks are freed, they are placed +onto a linked list, so they can be efficiently reused. This data type +is not much used in XEmacs currently, because it's a fairly new +addition. + +@cindex dynamic array +The @code{Dynarr} type implements a @dfn{dynamic array}, which is +similar to a standard C array but has no fixed limit on the number of +elements it can contain. Dynamic arrays can hold elements of any type, +and when you add a new element, the array automatically resizes itself +if it isn't big enough. Dynarrs are extensively used in the redisplay +mechanism. + + + +@example + 2058 inline.c +@end example + +This module is used in connection with inline functions (available in +some compilers). Often, inline functions need to have a corresponding +non-inline function that does the same thing. This module is where they +reside. It contains no actual code, but defines some special flags that +cause inline functions defined in header files to be rendered as actual +functions. It then includes all header files that contain any inline +function definitions, so that each one gets a real function equivalent. + + + +@example + 6489 debug.c + 2267 debug.h +@end example + +These functions provide a system for doing internal consistency checks +during code development. This system is not currently used; instead the +simpler @code{assert()} macro is used along with the various checks +provided by the @samp{--error-check-*} configuration options. + + + +@example + 1643 prefix-args.c +@end example + +This is actually the source for a small, self-contained program +used during building. + + +@example + 904 universe.h +@end example + +This is not currently used. + + + +@node Basic Lisp Modules +@section Basic Lisp Modules + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 70167 emacsfns.h + 6305 lisp-disunion.h + 7086 lisp-union.h + 54929 lisp.h + 14235 lrecord.h + 10728 symsinit.h +@end example + +These are the basic header files for all XEmacs modules. Each module +includes @file{lisp.h}, which brings the other header files in. +@file{lisp.h} contains the definitions of the structures and extractor +and constructor macros for the basic Lisp objects and various other +basic definitions for the Lisp environment, as well as some +general-purpose definitions (e.g. @code{min()} and @code{max()}). +@file{lisp.h} includes either @file{lisp-disunion.h} or +@file{lisp-union.h}, depending on whether @code{NO_UNION_TYPE} is +defined. These files define the typedef of the Lisp object itself (as +described above) and the low-level macros that hide the actual +implementation of the Lisp object. All extractor and constructor macros +for particular types of Lisp objects are defined in terms of these +low-level macros. + +As a general rule, all typedefs should go into the typedefs section of +@file{lisp.h} rather than into a module-specific header file even if the +structure is defined elsewhere. This allows function prototypes that +use the typedef to be placed into @file{emacsfns.h}. Forward structure +declarations (i.e. a simple declaration like @code{struct foo;} where +the structure itself is defined elsewhere) should be placed into the +typedefs section as necessary. + +@file{lrecord.h} contains the basic structures and macros that implement +all record-type Lisp objects -- i.e. all objects whose type is a field +in their C structure, which includes all objects except the few most +basic ones. + +@file{emacsfns.h} contains prototypes for most of the exported functions +in the various modules. (In particular, prototypes for Lisp primitives +should always go in this header file. Prototypes for other functions +can either go here or in a module-specific header file, depending on how +general-purpose the function is and whether it has special-purpose +argument types requiring definitions not in @file{lisp.h}.) All +initialization functions are prototyped in @file{symsinit.h}. + + + +@example + 120478 alloc.c + 1029 pure.c + 2506 puresize.h +@end example + +The large module @file{alloc.c} implements all of the basic allocation and +garbage collection for Lisp objects. The most commonly used Lisp +objects are allocated in chunks, similar to the Blocktype data type +described above; others are allocated in individually @code{malloc()}ed +blocks. This module provides the foundation on which all other aspects +of the Lisp environment sit, and is the first module initialized at +startup. + +Note that @file{alloc.c} provides a series of generic functions that are +not dependent on any particular object type, and interfaces to +particular types of objects using a standardized interface of +type-specific methods. This scheme is a fundamental principle of +object-oriented programming and is heavily used throughout XEmacs. The +great advantage of this is that it allows for a clean separation of +functionality into different modules -- new classes of Lisp objects, new +event interfaces, new device types, new stream interfaces, etc. can be +added transparently without affecting code anywhere else in XEmacs. +Because the different subsystems are divided into general and specific +code, adding a new subtype within a subsystem will in general not +require changes to the generic subsystem code or affect any of the other +subtypes in the subsystem; this provides a great deal of robustness to +the XEmacs code. + +@cindex pure space +@file{pure.c} contains the declaration of the @dfn{purespace} array. +Pure space is a hack used to place some constant Lisp data into the code +segment of the XEmacs executable, even though the data needs to be +initialized through function calls. (See above in section VIII for more +info about this.) During startup, certain sorts of data is +automatically copied into pure space, and other data is copied manually +in some of the basic Lisp files by calling the function @code{purecopy}, +which copies the object if possible (this only works in temacs, of +course) and returns the new object. In particular, while temacs is +executing, the Lisp reader automatically copies all compiled-function +objects that it reads into pure space. Since compiled-function objects +are large, are never modified, and typically comprise the majority of +the contents of a compiled-Lisp file, this works well. While XEmacs is +running, any attempt to modify an object that resides in pure space +causes an error. Objects in pure space are never garbage collected -- +almost all of the time, they're intended to be permanent, and in any +case you can't write into pure space to set the mark bits. + +@file{puresize.h} contains the declaration of the size of the pure space +array. This depends on the optional features that are compiled in, any +extra purespace requested by the user at compile time, and certain other +factors (e.g. 64-bit machines need more pure space because their Lisp +objects are larger). The smallest size that suffices should be used, so +that there's no wasted space. If there's not enough pure space, you +will get an error during the build process, specifying how much more +pure space is needed. + + + +@example + 122243 eval.c + 2305 backtrace.h +@end example + +This module contains all of the functions to handle the flow of control. +This includes the mechanisms of defining functions, calling functions, +traversing stack frames, and binding variables; the control primitives +and other special forms such as @code{while}, @code{if}, @code{eval}, +@code{let}, @code{and}, @code{or}, @code{progn}, etc.; handling of +non-local exits, unwind-protects, and exception handlers; entering the +debugger; methods for the subr Lisp object type; etc. It does +@emph{not} include the @code{read} function, the @code{print} function, +or the handling of symbols and obarrays. + +@file{backtrace.h} contains some structures related to stack frames and the +flow of control. + + + +@example + 64949 lread.c +@end example + +This module implements the Lisp reader and the @code{read} function, +which converts text into Lisp objects, according to the read syntax of +the objects, as described above. This is similar to the parser that is +a part of all compilers. + + + +@example + 40900 print.c +@end example + +This module implements the Lisp print mechanism and the @code{print} +function and related functions. This is the inverse of the Lisp reader +-- it converts Lisp objects to a printed, textual representation. +(Hopefully something that can be read back in using @code{read} to get +an equivalent object.) + + + +@example + 4518 general.c + 60220 symbols.c + 9966 symeval.h +@end example + +@file{symbols.c} implements the handling of symbols, obarrays, and +retrieving the values of symbols. Much of the code is devoted to +handling the special @dfn{symbol-value-magic} objects that define +special types of variables -- this includes buffer-local variables, +variable aliases, variables that forward into C variables, etc. This +module is initialized extremely early (right after @file{alloc.c}), +because it is here that the basic symbols @code{t} and @code{nil} are +created, and those symbols are used everywhere throughout XEmacs. + +@file{symeval.h} contains the definitions of symbol structures and the +@code{DEFVAR_LISP()} and related macros for declaring variables. + + + +@example + 48973 data.c + 25694 floatfns.c + 71049 fns.c +@end example + +These modules implement the methods and standard Lisp primitives for all +the basic Lisp object types other than symbols (which are described +above). @file{data.c} contains all the predicates (primitives that return +whether an object is of a particular type); the integer arithmetic +functions; and the basic accessor and mutator primitives for the various +object types. @file{fns.c} contains all the standard predicates for working +with sequences (where, abstractly speaking, a sequence is an ordered set +of objects, and can be represented by a list, string, vector, or +bit-vector); it also contains @code{equal}, perhaps on the grounds that +bulk of the operation of @code{equal} is comparing sequences. +@file{floatfns.c} contains methods and primitives for floats and floating-point +arithmetic. + + + +@example + 23555 bytecode.c + 3358 bytecode.h +@end example + +@file{bytecode.c} implements the byte-code interpreter, and @file{bytecode.h} contains +associated structures. Note that the byte-code @emph{compiler} is +written in Lisp. + + + + +@node Modules for Standard Editing Operations +@section Modules for Standard Editing Operations + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 82900 buffer.c + 60964 buffer.h + 6059 bufslots.h +@end example + +@file{buffer.c} implements the buffer Lisp object type. This includes +functions that create and destroy buffers; retrieve buffers by name or +by other properties; manipulate lists of buffers (remember that buffers +are permanent objects and stored in various ordered lists); retrieve or +change buffer properties; etc. It also contains the definitions of all +the built-in buffer-local variables (which can be viewed as buffer +properties). It does @emph{not} contain code to manipulate buffer-local +variables (that's in @file{symbols.c}, described above); or code to manipulate +the text in a buffer. + +@file{buffer.h} defines the structures associated with a buffer and the various +macros for retrieving text from a buffer and special buffer positions +(e.g. @code{point}, the default location for text insertion). It also +contains macros for working with buffer positions and converting between +their representations as character offsets and as byte offsets (under +MULE, they are different, because characters can be multi-byte). It is +one of the largest header files. + +@file{bufslots.h} defines the fields in the buffer structure that correspond to +the built-in buffer-local variables. It is its own header file because +it is included many times in @file{buffer.c}, as a way of iterating over all +the built-in buffer-local variables. + + + +@example + 79888 insdel.c + 6103 insdel.h +@end example + +@file{insdel.c} contains low-level functions for inserting and deleting text in +a buffer, keeping track of changed regions for use by redisplay, and +calling any before-change and after-change functions that may have been +registered for the buffer. It also contains the actual functions that +convert between byte offsets and character offsets. + +@file{insdel.h} contains associated headers. + + + +@example + 10975 marker.c +@end example + +This module implements the marker Lisp object type, which conceptually +is a pointer to a text position in a buffer that moves around as text is +inserted and deleted, so as to remain in the same relative position. +This module doesn't actually move the markers around -- that's handled +in @file{insdel.c}. This module just creates them and implements the +primitives for working with them. As markers are simple objects, this +does not entail much. + +Note that the standard arithmetic primitives (e.g. @code{+}) accept +markers in place of integers and automatically substitute the value of +@code{marker-position} for the marker, i.e. an integer describing the +current buffer position of the marker. + + + +@example + 193714 extents.c + 15686 extents.h +@end example + +This module implements the extent Lisp object type, which is like a +marker that works over a range of text rather than a single position. +Extents are also much more complex and powerful than markers and have a +more efficient (and more algorithmically complex) implementation. The +implementation is described in detail in comments in @file{extents.c}. + +The code in @file{extents.c} works closely with @file{insdel.c} so that +extents are properly moved around as text is inserted and deleted. +There is also code in @file{extents.c} that provides information needed +by the redisplay mechanism for efficient operation. (Remember that +extents can have display properties that affect [sometimes drastically, +as in the @code{invisible} property] the display of the text they +cover.) + + + +@example + 60155 editfns.c +@end example + +@file{editfns.c} contains the standard Lisp primitives for working with +a buffer's text, and calls the low-level functions in @file{insdel.c}. +It also contains primitives for working with @code{point} (the default +buffer insertion location). + +@file{editfns.c} also contains functions for retrieving various +characteristics from the external environment: the current time, the +process ID of the running XEmacs process, the name of the user who ran +this XEmacs process, etc. It's not clear why this code is in +@file{editfns.c}. + + + +@example + 26081 callint.c + 12577 cmds.c + 2749 commands.h +@end example + +@cindex interactive +These modules implement the basic @dfn{interactive} commands, +i.e. user-callable functions. Commands, as opposed to other functions, +have special ways of getting their parameters interactively (by querying +the user), as opposed to having them passed in a normal function +invocation. Many commands are not really meant to be called from other +Lisp functions, because they modify global state in a way that's often +undesired as part of other Lisp functions. + +@file{callint.c} implements the mechanism for querying the user for +parameters and calling interactive commands. The bulk of this module is +code that parses the interactive spec that is supplied with an +interactive command. + +@file{cmds.c} implements the basic, most commonly used editing commands: +commands to move around the current buffer and insert and delete +characters. These commands are implemented using the Lisp primitives +defined in @file{editfns.c}. + +@file{commands.h} contains associated structure definitions and prototypes. + + + +@example + 194863 regex.c + 18968 regex.h + 79800 search.c +@end example + +@file{search.c} implements the Lisp primitives for searching for text in +a buffer, and some of the low-level algorithms for doing this. In +particular, the fast fixed-string Boyer-Moore search algorithm is +implemented in @file{search.c}. The low-level algorithms for doing +regular-expression searching, however, are implemented in @file{regex.c} +and @file{regex.h}. These two modules are largely independent of +XEmacs, and are similar to (and based upon) the regular-expression +routines used in @file{grep} and other GNU utilities. + + + +@example + 20476 doprnt.c +@end example + +@file{doprnt.c} implements formatted-string processing, similar to +@code{printf()} command in C. + + + +@example + 15372 undo.c +@end example + +This module implements the undo mechanism for tracking buffer changes. +Most of this could be implemented in Lisp. + + + +@node Editor-Level Control Flow Modules +@section Editor-Level Control Flow Modules + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 84546 event-Xt.c + 121483 event-stream.c + 6658 event-tty.c + 49271 events.c + 14459 events.h +@end example + +These implement the handling of events (user input and other system +notifications). + +@file{events.c} and @file{events.h} define the event Lisp object type +and primitives for manipulating it. + +@file{event-stream.c} implements the basic functions for working with +event queues, dispatching an event by looking it up in relevant keymaps +and such, and handling timeouts; this includes the primitives +@code{next-event} and @code{dispatch-event}, as well as related +primitives such as @code{sit-for}, @code{sleep-for}, and +@code{accept-process-output}. (@file{event-stream.c} is one of the +hairiest and trickiest modules in XEmacs. Beware! You can easily mess +things up here.) + +@file{event-Xt.c} and @file{event-tty.c} implement the low-level +interfaces onto retrieving events from Xt (the X toolkit) and from TTY's +(using @code{read()} and @code{select()}), respectively. The event +interface enforces a clean separation between the specific code for +interfacing with the operating system and the generic code for working +with events, by defining an API of basic, low-level event methods; +@file{event-Xt.c} and @file{event-tty.c} are two different +implementations of this API. To add support for a new operating system +(e.g. NeXTstep), one merely needs to provide another implementation of +those API functions. + +Note that the choice of whether to use @file{event-Xt.c} or +@file{event-tty.c} is made at compile time! Or at the very latest, it +is made at startup time. @file{event-Xt.c} handles events for +@emph{both} X and TTY frames; @file{event-tty.c} is only used when X +support is not compiled into XEmacs. The reason for this is that there +is only one event loop in XEmacs: thus, it needs to be able to receive +events from all different kinds of frames. + + + +@example + 129583 keymap.c + 2621 keymap.h +@end example + +@file{keymap.c} and @file{keymap.h} define the keymap Lisp object type +and associated methods and primitives. (Remember that keymaps are +objects that associate event descriptions with functions to be called to +``execute'' those events; @code{dispatch-event} looks up events in the +relevant keymaps.) + + + +@example + 25212 keyboard.c +@end example + +@file{keyboard.c} contains functions that implement the actual editor +command loop -- i.e. the event loop that cyclically retrieves and +dispatches events. This code is also rather tricky, just like +@file{event-stream.c}. + + + +@example + 9973 macros.c + 1397 macros.h +@end example + +These two modules contain the basic code for defining keyboard macros. +These functions don't actually do much; most of the code that handles keyboard +macros is mixed in with the event-handling code in @file{event-stream.c}. + + + +@example + 23234 minibuf.c +@end example + +This contains some miscellaneous code related to the minibuffer (most of +the minibuffer code was moved into Lisp by Richard Mlynarik). This +includes the primitives for completion (although filename completion is +in @file{dired.c}), the lowest-level interface to the minibuffer (if the +command loop were cleaned up, this too could be in Lisp), and code for +dealing with the echo area (this, too, was mostly moved into Lisp, and +the only code remaining is code to call out to Lisp or provide simple +bootstrapping implementations early in temacs, before the echo-area Lisp +code is loaded). + + + +@node Modules for the Basic Displayable Lisp Objects +@section Modules for the Basic Displayable Lisp Objects + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 985 device-ns.h + 6454 device-stream.c + 1196 device-stream.h + 9526 device-tty.c + 8660 device-tty.h + 43798 device-x.c + 11667 device-x.h + 26056 device.c + 22993 device.h +@end example + +These modules implement the device Lisp object type. This abstracts a +particular screen or connection on which frames are displayed. As with +Lisp objects, event interfaces, and other subsystems, the device code is +separated into a generic component that contains a standardized +interface (in the form of a set of methods) onto particular device +types. + +The device subsystem defines all the methods and provides method +services for not only device operations but also for the frame, window, +menubar, scrollbar, toolbar, and other displayable-object subsystems. +The reason for this is that all of these subsystems have the same +subtypes (X, TTY, NeXTstep, Microsoft Windows, etc.) as devices do. + + + +@example + 934 frame-ns.h + 2303 frame-tty.c + 69205 frame-x.c + 5976 frame-x.h + 68175 frame.c + 15080 frame.h +@end example + +Each device contains one or more frames in which objects (e.g. text) are +displayed. A frame corresponds to a window in the window system; +usually this is a top-level window but it could potentially be one of a +number of overlapping child windows within a top-level window, using the +MDI (Multiple Document Interface) protocol in Microsoft Windows or a +similar scheme. + +The @file{frame-*} files implement the frame Lisp object type and provide the +generic and device-type-specific operations on frames (e.g. raising, +lowering, resizing, moving, etc.). + + + +@example + 160783 window.c + 15974 window.h +@end example + +@cindex window (in Emacs) +@cindex pane +Each frame consists of one or more non-overlapping @dfn{windows} (better +known as @dfn{panes} in standard window-system terminology) in which a +buffer's text can be displayed. Windows can also have scrollbars +displayed around their edges. + +@file{window.c} and @file{window.h} implement the window Lisp object +type and provide code to manage windows. Since windows have no +associated resources in the window system (the window system knows only +about the frame; no child windows or anything are used for XEmacs +windows), there is no device-type-specific code here; all of that code +is part of the redisplay mechanism or the code for particular object +types such as scrollbars. + + + +@node Modules for other Display-Related Lisp Objects +@section Modules for other Display-Related Lisp Objects + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 54397 faces.c + 15173 faces.h +@end example + + + +@example + 4961 bitmaps.h + 954 glyphs-ns.h + 105345 glyphs-x.c + 4288 glyphs-x.h + 72102 glyphs.c + 16356 glyphs.h +@end example + + + +@example + 952 objects-ns.h + 9971 objects-tty.c + 1465 objects-tty.h + 32326 objects-x.c + 2806 objects-x.h + 31944 objects.c + 6809 objects.h +@end example + + + +@example + 57511 menubar-x.c + 11243 menubar.c +@end example + + + +@example + 25012 scrollbar-x.c + 2554 scrollbar-x.h + 26954 scrollbar.c + 2778 scrollbar.h +@end example + + + +@example + 23117 toolbar-x.c + 43456 toolbar.c + 4280 toolbar.h +@end example + + + +@example + 25070 font-lock.c +@end example + +This file provides C support for syntax highlighting -- i.e. +highlighting different syntactic constructs of a source file in +different colors, for easy reading. The C support is provided so that +this is fast. + + + +@example + 32180 dgif_lib.c + 3999 gif_err.c + 10697 gif_lib.h + 9371 gifalloc.c +@end example + +These modules decode GIF-format image files, for use with glyphs. + + + +@node Modules for the Redisplay Mechanism +@section Modules for the Redisplay Mechanism + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 38692 redisplay-output.c + 40835 redisplay-tty.c + 65069 redisplay-x.c + 234142 redisplay.c + 17026 redisplay.h +@end example + +These files provide the redisplay mechanism. As with many other +subsystems in XEmacs, there is a clean separation between the general +and device-specific support. + +@file{redisplay.c} contains the bulk of the redisplay engine. These +functions update the redisplay structures (which describe how the screen +is to appear) to reflect any changes made to the state of any +displayable objects (buffer, frame, window, etc.) since the last time +that redisplay was called. These functions are highly optimized to +avoid doing more work than necessary (since redisplay is called +extremely often and is potentially a huge time sink), and depend heavily +on notifications from the objects themselves that changes have occurred, +so that redisplay doesn't explicitly have to check each possible object. +The redisplay mechanism also contains a great deal of caching to further +speed things up; some of this caching is contained within the various +displayable objects. + +@file{redisplay-output.c} goes through the redisplay structures and converts +them into calls to device-specific methods to actually output the screen +changes. + +@file{redisplay-x.c} and @file{redisplay-tty.c} are two implementations +of these redisplay output methods, for X frames and TTY frames, +respectively. + + + +@example + 14129 indent.c +@end example + +This module contains various functions and Lisp primitives for +converting between buffer positions and screen positions. These +functions call the redisplay mechanism to do most of the work, and then +examine the redisplay structures to get the necessary information. This +module needs work. + + + +@example + 14754 termcap.c + 2141 terminfo.c + 7253 tparam.c +@end example + +These files contain functions for working with the termcap (BSD-style) +and terminfo (System V style) databases of terminal capabilities and +escape sequences, used when XEmacs is displaying in a TTY. + + + +@example + 10869 cm.c + 5876 cm.h +@end example + +These files provide some miscellaneous TTY-output functions and should +probably be merged into @file{redisplay-tty.c}. + + + +@node Modules for Interfacing with the File System +@section Modules for Interfacing with the File System + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 43362 lstream.c + 14240 lstream.h +@end example + +These modules implement the stream Lisp object type. This is an +internal-only Lisp object that implements a generic buffering stream. +The idea is to provide a uniform interface onto all sources and sinks of +data, including file descriptors, stdio streams, chunks of memory, Lisp +buffers, Lisp strings, etc. That way, I/O functions can be written to +the stream interface and can transparently handle all possible sources +and sinks. (For example, the @code{read} function can read data from a +file, a string, a buffer, or even a function that is called repeatedly +to return data, without worrying about where the data is coming from or +what-size chunks it is returned in.) + +@cindex lstream +Note that in the C code, streams are called @dfn{lstreams} (for ``Lisp +streams'') to distinguish them from other kinds of streams, e.g. stdio +streams and C++ I/O streams. + +Similar to other subsystems in XEmacs, lstreams are separated into +generic functions and a set of methods for the different types of +lstreams. @file{lstream.c} provides implementations of many different +types of streams; others are provided, e.g., in @file{mule-coding.c}. + + + +@example + 126926 fileio.c +@end example + +This implements the basic primitives for interfacing with the file +system. This includes primitives for reading files into buffers, +writing buffers into files, checking for the presence or accessibility +of files, canonicalizing file names, etc. Note that these primitives +are usually not invoked directly by the user: There is a great deal of +higher-level Lisp code that implements the user commands such as +@code{find-file} and @code{save-buffer}. This is similar to the +distinction between the lower-level primitives in @file{editfns.c} and +the higher-level user commands in @file{commands.c} and +@file{simple.el}. + + + +@example + 10960 filelock.c +@end example + +This file provides functions for detecting clashes between different +processes (e.g. XEmacs and some external process, or two different +XEmacs processes) modifying the same file. (XEmacs can optionally use +the @file{lock/} subdirectory to provide a form of ``locking'' between +different XEmacs processes.) This module is also used by the low-level +functions in @file{insdel.c} to ensure that, if the first modification +is being made to a buffer whose corresponding file has been externally +modified, the user is made aware of this so that the buffer can be +synched up with the external changes if necessary. + + +@example + 4527 filemode.c +@end example + +This file provides some miscellaneous functions that construct a +@samp{rwxr-xr-x}-type permissions string (as might appear in an +@file{ls}-style directory listing) given the information returned by the +@code{stat()} system call. + + + +@example + 22855 dired.c + 2094 ndir.h +@end example + +These files implement the XEmacs interface to directory searching. This +includes a number of primitives for determining the files in a directory +and for doing filename completion. (Remember that generic completion is +handled by a different mechanism, in @file{minibuf.c}.) + +@file{ndir.h} is a header file used for the directory-searching +emulation functions provided in @file{sysdep.c} (see section J below), +for systems that don't provide any directory-searching functions. (On +those systems, directories can be read directly as files, and parsed.) + + + +@example + 4311 realpath.c +@end example + +This file provides an implementation of the @code{realpath()} function +for expanding symbolic links, on systems that don't implement it or have +a broken implementation. + + + +@node Modules for Other Aspects of the Lisp Interpreter and Object System +@section Modules for Other Aspects of the Lisp Interpreter and Object System + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 22290 elhash.c + 2454 elhash.h + 12169 hash.c + 3369 hash.h +@end example + +These files implement the hashtable Lisp object type. @file{hash.c} and +@file{hash.h} provide a generic C implementation of hash tables (which +can stand independently of XEmacs), and @file{elhash.c} and +@file{elhash.h} provide a Lisp interface onto the C hash tables using +the hashtable Lisp object type. + + + +@example + 95691 specifier.c + 11167 specifier.h +@end example + +This module implements the specifier Lisp object type. This is +primarily used for displayable properties, and allows for values that +are specific to a particular buffer, window, frame, device, or device +class, as well as a default value existing. This is used, for example, +to control the height of the horizontal scrollbar or the appearance of +the @code{default}, @code{bold}, or other faces. The specifier object +consists of a number of specifications, each of which maps from a +buffer, window, etc. to a value. The function @code{specifier-instance} +looks up a value given a window (from which a buffer, frame, and device +can be derived). + + +@example + 43058 chartab.c + 6503 chartab.h + 9918 casetab.c +@end example + +@file{chartab.c} and @file{chartab.h} implement the char table Lisp +object type, which maps from characters or certain sorts of character +ranges to Lisp objects. The implementation of this object is optimized +for the internal representation of characters. Char tables come in +different types, which affect the allowed object types to which a +character can be mapped and also dictate certain other properties of the +char table. + +@cindex case table +@file{casetab.c} implements one sort of char table, the @dfn{case +table}, which maps characters to other characters of possibly different +case. These are used by XEmacs to implement case-changing primitives +and to do case-insensitive searching. + + + +@example + 49593 syntax.c + 10200 syntax.h +@end example + +@cindex scanner +This module implements syntax tables, another sort of char table that +maps characters into syntax classes that define the syntax of these +characters (e.g. a parenthesis belongs to a class of @samp{open} characters +that have corresponding @samp{close} characters and can be nested). +This module also implements the Lisp @dfn{scanner}, a set of primitives +for scanning over text based on syntax tables. This is used, for +example, to find the matching parenthesis in a command such as +@code{forward-sexp}, and by @file{font-lock.c} to locate quoted strings, +comments, etc. + + + +@example + 10438 casefiddle.c +@end example + +This module implements various Lisp primitives for upcasing, downcasing +and capitalizing strings or regions of buffers. + + + +@example + 20234 rangetab.c +@end example + +This module implements the range table Lisp object type, which provides +for a mapping from ranges of integers to arbitrary Lisp objects. + + + +@example + 3201 opaque.c + 2206 opaque.h +@end example + +This module implements the opaque Lisp object type, an internal-only +Lisp object that encapsulates an arbitrary block of memory so that it +can be managed by the Lisp allocation system. To create an opaque +object, you call @code{make_opaque()}, passing a pointer to a block of +memory. An object is created that is big enough to hold the memory, +which is copied into the object's storage. The object will then stick +around as long as you keep pointers to it, after which it will be +automatically reclaimed. + +@cindex mark method +Opaque objects can also have an arbitrary @dfn{mark method} associated +with them, in case the block of memory contains other Lisp objects that +need to be marked for garbage-collection purposes. (If you need other +object methods, such as a finalize method, you should just go ahead and +create a new Lisp object type -- it's not hard.) + + + +@example + 8783 abbrev.c +@end example + +This function provides a few primitives for doing dynamic abbreviation +expansion. In XEmacs, most of the code for this has been moved into +Lisp. Some C code remains for speed and because the primitive +@code{self-insert-command} (which is executed for all self-inserting +characters) hooks into the abbrev mechanism. (@code{self-insert-command} +is itself in C only for speed.) + + + +@example + 21934 doc.c +@end example + +This function provides primitives for retrieving the documentation +strings of functions and variables. These documentation strings contain +certain special markers that get dynamically expanded (e.g. a +reverse-lookup is performed on some named functions to retrieve their +current key bindings). Some documentation strings (in particular, for +the built-in primitives and pre-loaded Lisp functions) are stored +externally in a file @file{DOC} in the @file{lib-src/} directory and +need to be fetched from that file. (Part of the build stage involves +building this file, and another part involves constructing an index for +this file and embedding it into the executable, so that the functions in +@file{doc.c} do not have to search the entire @file{DOC} file to find +the appropriate documentation string.) + + + +@example + 13197 md5.c +@end example + +This function provides a Lisp primitive that implements the MD5 secure +hashing scheme, used to create a large hash value of a string of data such that +the data cannot be derived from the hash value. This is used for +various security applications on the Internet. + + + +@example + 7000 mocklisp.c +@end example + +This function provides some emulation of MockLisp, a version of Lisp +provided in Gosling Emacs (aka Unipress Emacs), from which some old +versions of GNU Emacs were derived. You have to explicitly enable this +code with a configure option and shouldn't normally, because it changes +the semantics of XEmacs Lisp in ways that are not desirable for normal +Lisp programs. + + + +@node Modules for Interfacing with the Operating System +@section Modules for Interfacing with the Operating System + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 33533 callproc.c + 89697 process.c + 4663 process.h +@end example + +These modules allow XEmacs to spawn and communicate with subprocesses +and network connections. + +@cindex synchronous subprocesses +@cindex subprocesses, synchronous + @file{callproc.c} implements (through the @code{call-process} +primitive) what are called @dfn{synchronous subprocesses}. This means +that XEmacs runs a program, waits till it's done, and retrieves its +output. A typical example might be calling the @file{ls} program to get +a directory listing. + +@cindex asynchronous subprocesses +@cindex subprocesses, asynchronous + @file{process.c} and @file{process.h} implement @dfn{asynchronous +subprocesses}. This means that XEmacs starts a program and then +continues normally, not waiting for the process to finish. Data can be +sent to the process or retrieved from it as it's running. This is used +for the @code{shell} command (which provides a front end onto a shell +program such as @file{csh}), the mail and news readers implemented in +XEmacs, etc. The result of calling @code{start-process} to start a +subprocess is a process object, a particular kind of object used to +communicate with the subprocess. You can send data to the process by +passing the process object and the data to @code{send-process}, and you +can specify what happens to data retrieved from the process by setting +properties of the process object. (When the process sends data, XEmacs +receives a process event, which says that there is data ready. When +@code{dispatch-event} is called on this event, it reads the data from +the process and does something with it, as specified by the process +object's properties. Typically, this means inserting the data into a +buffer or calling a function.) Another property of the process object is +called the @dfn{sentinel}, which is a function that is called when the +process terminates. + +@cindex network connections + Process objects are also used for network connections (connections to a +process running on another machine). Network connections are started +with @code{open-network-stream} but otherwise work just like +subprocesses. + + + +@example + 136029 sysdep.c + 5986 sysdep.h +@end example + + These modules implement most of the low-level, messy operating-system +interface code. This includes various device control (ioctl) operations +for file descriptors, TTY's, pseudo-terminals, etc. (usually this stuff +is fairly system-dependent; thus the name of this module), and emulation +of standard library functions and system calls on systems that don't +provide them or have broken versions. + + + +@example + 3605 sysdir.h + 6708 sysfile.h + 2027 sysfloat.h + 2918 sysproc.h + 745 syspwd.h + 7643 syssignal.h + 6892 systime.h + 12477 systty.h + 3487 syswait.h +@end example + +These header files provide consistent interfaces onto system-dependent +header files and system calls. The idea is that, instead of including a +standard header file like @file{<sys/param.h>} (which may or may not +exist on various systems) or having to worry about whether all system +provide a particular preprocessor constant, or having to deal with the +four different paradigms for manipulating signals, you just include the +appropriate @file{sys*.h} header file, which includes all the right +system header files, defines and missing preprocessor constants, +provides a uniform interface onto system calls, etc. + +@file{sysdir.h} provides a uniform interface onto directory-querying +functions. (In some cases, this is in conjunction with emulation +functions in @file{sysdep.c}.) + +@file{sysfile.h} includes all the necessary header files for standard +system calls (e.g. @code{read()}), ensures that all necessary +@code{open()} and @code{stat()} preprocessor constants are defined, and +possibly (usually) substitutes sugared versions of @code{read()}, +@code{write()}, etc. that automatically restart interrupted I/O +operations. + +@file{sysfloat.h} includes the necessary header files for floating-point +operations. + +@file{sysproc.h} includes the necessary header files for calling +@code{select()}, @code{fork()}, @code{execve()}, socket operations, and +the like, and ensures that the @code{FD_*()} macros for descriptor-set +manipulations are available. + +@file{syspwd.h} includes the necessary header files for obtaining +information from @file{/etc/passwd} (the functions are emulated under +VMS). + +@file{syssignal.h} includes the necessary header files for +signal-handling and provides a uniform interface onto the different +signal-handling and signal-blocking paradigms. + +@file{systime.h} includes the necessary header files and provides +uniform interfaces for retrieving the time of day, setting file +access/modification times, getting the amount of time used by the XEmacs +process, etc. + +@file{systty.h} buffers against the infinitude of different ways of +controlling TTY's. + +@file{syswait.h} provides a uniform way of retrieving the exit status +from a @code{wait()}ed-on process (some systems use a union, others use +an int). + + + +@example + 7940 hpplay.c + 10920 libsst.c + 1480 libsst.h + 3260 libst.h + 15355 linuxplay.c + 15849 nas.c + 19133 sgiplay.c + 15411 sound.c + 7358 sunplay.c +@end example + +These files implement the ability to play various sounds on some types +of computers. You have to configure your XEmacs with sound support in +order to get this capability. + +@file{sound.c} provides the generic interface. It implements various +Lisp primitives and variables that let you specify which sounds should +be played in certain conditions. (The conditions are identified by +symbols, which are passed to @code{ding} to make a sound. Various +standard functions call this function at certain times; if sound support +does not exist, a simple beep results. + +@cindex native sound +@cindex sound, native +@file{sgiplay.c}, @file{sunplay.c}, @file{hpplay.c}, and +@file{linuxplay.c} interface to the machine's speaker for various +different kind of machines. This is called @dfn{native} sound. + +@cindex sound, network +@cindex network sound +@cindex NAS +@file{nas.c} interfaces to a computer somewhere else on the network +using the NAS (Network Audio Server) protocol, playing sounds on that +machine. This allows you to run XEmacs on a remote machine, with its +display set to your local machine, and have the sounds be made on your +local machine, provided that you have a NAS server running on your local +machine. + +@file{libsst.c}, @file{libsst.h}, and @file{libst.h} provide some +additional functions for playing sound on a Sun SPARC but are not +currently in use. + + + +@example + 44368 tooltalk.c + 2137 tooltalk.h +@end example + +These two modules implement an interface to the ToolTalk protocol, which +is an interprocess communication protocol implemented on some versions +of Unix. ToolTalk is a high-level protocol that allows processes to +register themselves as providers of particular services; other processes +can then request a service without knowing or caring exactly who is +providing the service. It is similar in spirit to the DDE protocol +provided under Microsoft Windows. ToolTalk is a part of the new CDE +(Common Desktop Environment) specification and is used to connect the +parts of the SPARCWorks development environment. + + + +@example + 22695 getloadavg.c +@end example + +This module provides the ability to retrieve the system's current load +average. (The way to do this is highly system-specific, unfortunately, +and requires a lot of special-case code.) + + + +@example + 148520 energize.c + 6896 energize.h +@end example + +This module provides code to interface to an Energize server (when +XEmacs is used as part of Lucid's Energize development environment) and +provides some other Energize-specific functions. Much of the code in +this module should be made more general-purpose and moved elsewhere, but +is no longer very relevant now that Lucid is defunct. It also hasn't +worked since version 19.12, since nobody has been maintaining it. + + + +@example + 2861 sunpro.c +@end example + +This module provides a small amount of code used internally at Sun to +keep statistics on the usage of XEmacs. + + + +@example + 5548 broken-sun.h + 3468 strcmp.c + 2179 strcpy.c + 1650 sunOS-fix.c +@end example + +These files provide replacement functions and prototypes to fix numerous +bugs in early releases of SunOS 4.1. + + + +@example + 11669 hftctl.c +@end example + +This module provides some terminal-control code necessary on versions of +AIX prior to 4.1. + + + +@example + 1776 acldef.h + 1602 chpdef.h + 9032 uaf.h + 105 vlimit.h + 7145 vms-pp.c + 1158 vms-pwd.h + 26532 vmsfns.c + 6038 vmsmap.c + 695 vmspaths.h + 17482 vmsproc.c + 469 vmsproc.h +@end example + +All of these files are used for VMS support, which has never worked in +XEmacs. + + + +@example + 28316 msdos.c + 1472 msdos.h +@end example + +These modules are used for MS-DOS support, which does not work in +XEmacs. + + + +@node Modules for Interfacing with X Windows +@section Modules for Interfacing with X Windows + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 3196 Emacs.ad.h +@end example + +A file generated from @file{Emacs.ad}, which contains XEmacs-supplied +fallback resources (so that XEmacs has pretty defaults). + + + +@example + 24242 EmacsFrame.c + 6979 EmacsFrame.h + 3351 EmacsFrameP.h +@end example + +These modules implement an Xt widget class that encapsulates a frame. +This is for ease in integrating with Xt. The EmacsFrame widget covers +the entire X window except for the menubar; the scrollbars are +positioned on top of the EmacsFrame widget. + +@strong{Warning:} Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. This code took +an ungodly amount of time to get right, and is likely to fall apart +mercilessly at the slightest change. Such is life under Xt. + + + +@example + 8178 EmacsManager.c + 1967 EmacsManager.h + 1895 EmacsManagerP.h +@end example + +These modules implement a simple Xt manager (i.e. composite) widget +class that simply lets its children set whatever geometry they want. +It's amazing that Xt doesn't provide this standardly, but on second +thought, it makes sense, considering how amazingly broken Xt is. + + +@example + 13188 EmacsShell-sub.c + 4588 EmacsShell.c + 2180 EmacsShell.h + 3133 EmacsShellP.h +@end example + +These modules implement two Xt widget classes that are subclasses of +the TopLevelShell and TransientShell classes. This is necessary to deal +with more brokenness that Xt has sadistically thrust onto the backs of +developers. + + + +@example + 9673 xgccache.c + 1111 xgccache.h +@end example + +These modules provide functions for maintenance and caching of GC's +(graphics contexts) under the X Window System. This code is junky and +needs to be rewritten. + + + +@example + 69181 xselect.c +@end example + +@cindex selections + This module provides an interface to the X Window System's concept of +@dfn{selections}, the standard way for X applications to communicate +with each other. + + + +@example + 929 xintrinsic.h + 1038 xintrinsicp.h + 1579 xmmanagerp.h + 1585 xmprimitivep.h +@end example + +These header files are similar in spirit to the @file{sys*.h} files and buffer +against different implementations of Xt and Motif. + +@itemize @bullet +@item +@file{xintrinsic.h} should be included in place of @file{<Intrinsic.h>}. +@item +@file{xintrinsicp.h} should be included in place of @file{<IntrinsicP.h>}. +@item +@file{xmmanagerp.h} should be included in place of @file{<XmManagerP.h>}. +@item +@file{xmprimitivep.h} should be included in place of @file{<XmPrimitiveP.h>}. +@end itemize + + + +@example + 16930 xmu.c + 936 xmu.h +@end example + +These files provide an emulation of the Xmu library for those systems +(i.e. HPUX) that don't provide it as a standard part of X. + + + +@example + 4201 ExternalClient-Xlib.c + 18083 ExternalClient.c + 2035 ExternalClient.h + 2104 ExternalClientP.h + 22684 ExternalShell.c + 1709 ExternalShell.h + 1971 ExternalShellP.h + 2478 extw-Xlib.c + 1481 extw-Xlib.h + 6565 extw-Xt.c + 1430 extw-Xt.h +@end example + +@cindex external widget + These files provide the @dfn{external widget} interface, which allows an +XEmacs frame to appear as a widget in another application. To do this, +you have to configure with @samp{--external-widget}. + +@file{ExternalShell*} provides the server (XEmacs) side of the +connection. + +@file{ExternalClient*} provides the client (other application) side of +the connection. These files are not compiled into XEmacs but are +compiled into libraries that are then linked into your application. + +@file{extw-*} is common code that is used for both the client and server. + +Don't touch this code; something is liable to break if you do. + + + +@example + 31014 epoch.c +@end example + +This file provides some additional, Epoch-compatible, functionality for +interfacing to the X Window System. + + + +@node Modules for Internationalization +@section Modules for Internationalization + +@example + size name +------- --------------------- + 42836 mule-canna.c + 16737 mule-ccl.c + 41080 mule-charset.c + 30176 mule-charset.h + 146844 mule-coding.c + 16588 mule-coding.h + 6996 mule-mcpath.c + 2899 mule-mcpath.h + 57158 mule-wnnfns.c + 3351 mule.c +@end example + +These files implement the MULE (Asian-language) support. Note that MULE +actually provides a general interface for all sorts of languages, not +just Asian languages (although they are generally the most complicated +to support). This code is still in beta. + +@file{mule-charset.*} and @file{mule-coding.*} provide the heart of the +XEmacs MULE support. @file{mule-charset.*} implements the @dfn{charset} Lisp object, +which encapsulates a character set (an ordered one- or two-dimensional +set of characters, such as US ASCII or JISX0208 Japanese Kanji). +@file{mule-coding.*} implements the coding-system Lisp object, which +encapsulates a method of converting between different encodings. An +encoding is a representation of a stream of characters from multiple +character sets using a stream of bytes or words and defines (e.g.) which +escape sequences are used to specify particular character sets, how the +indices for a character are converted into bytes (sometimes this +involves setting the high bit; sometimes complicated rearranging of the +values takes place, as in the Shift-JIS encoding), etc. + +@file{mule-ccl.c} provides the CCL (Code Conversion Language) +interpreter. CCL is similar in spirit to Lisp byte code and is used to +implement converters for custom encodings. + +@file{mule-canna.c} and @file{mule-wnnfns.c} implement interfaces to +external programs used to implement the Canna and WNN input methods, +respectively. This is currently broken. + +@file{mule-mcpatch.c} provides some functions to allow for pathnames +containing extended characters. This code is fragmentary and completely +non-working. + +@file{mule.c} provides a few miscellaneous things that should probably +be elsewhere. + + + +@example + 9400 intl.c +@end example + +This provides some miscellaneous internationalization code for +implementing message translation and interfacing to the Ximp input +method. None of this code is currently working. + + + +@example + 1764 iso-wide.h +@end example + +This contains leftover code from an earlier implementation of +Asian-language support, and is not currently used. + + + + +@node Allocation of Objects in XEmacs Lisp, Events and the Event Loop, A Summary of the Various XEmacs Modules, Top +@chapter Allocation of Objects in XEmacs Lisp + +@menu +* Introduction to Allocation:: +* Garbage Collection:: +* GCPROing:: +* Integers and Characters:: +* Allocation from Frob Blocks:: +* lrecords:: +* Low-level allocation:: +* Pure Space:: +* Cons:: +* Vector:: +* Bit Vector:: +* Symbol:: +* Marker:: +* String:: +* Bytecode:: +@end menu + +@node Introduction to Allocation +@section Introduction to Allocation + + Emacs Lisp, like all Lisps, has garbage collection. This means that +the programmer never has to explicitly free (destroy) an object; it +happens automatically when the object becomes inaccessible. Most +experts agree that garbage collection is a necessity in a modern, +high-level language. Its omission from C stems from the fact that C was +originally designed to be a nice abstract layer on top of assembly +language, for writing kernels and basic system utilities rather than +large applications. + + Lisp objects can be created by any of a number of Lisp primitives. +Most object types have one or a small number of basic primitives +for creating objects. For conses, the basic primitive is @code{cons}; +for vectors, the primitives are @code{make-vector} and @code{vector}; for +symbols, the primitives are @code{make-symbol} and @code{intern}; etc. +Some Lisp objects, especially those that are primarily used internally, +have no corresponding Lisp primitives. Every Lisp object, though, +has at least one C primitive for creating it. + + Recall from section (VII) that a Lisp object, as stored in a 32-bit +or 64-bit word, has a mark bit, a few tag bits, and a ``value'' that +occupies the remainder of the bits. We can separate the different +Lisp object types into four broad categories: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +(a) Those for whom the value directly represents the contents of the +Lisp object. Only two types are in this category: integers and +characters. No special allocation or garbage collection is necessary +for such objects. +@end itemize + + In the remaining three categories, the value is a pointer to a +structure. + +@itemize @bullet +@item +@cindex frob block +(b) Those for whom the tag directly specifies the type. Recall that +there are only three tag bits; this means that at most five types can be +specified this way. The most commonly-used types are stored in this +format; this includes conses, strings, vectors, and sometimes symbols. +With the exception of vectors, objects in this category are allocated in +@dfn{frob blocks}, i.e. large blocks of memory that are subdivided into +individual objects. This saves a lot on malloc overhead, since there +are typically quite a lot of these objects around, and the objects are +small. (A cons, for example, occupies 8 bytes on 32-bit machines -- 4 +bytes for each of the two objects it contains.) Vectors are individually +@code{malloc()}ed since they are of variable size. (It would be +possible, and desirable, to allocate vectors of certain small sizes out +of frob blocks, but it isn't currently done.) Strings are handled +specially: Each string is allocated in two parts, a fixed size structure +containing a length and a data pointer, and the actual data of the +string. The former structure is allocated in frob blocks as usual, and +the latter data is stored in @dfn{string chars blocks} and is relocated +during garbage collection to eliminate holes. +@end itemize + + In the remaining two categories, the type is stored in the object +itself. The tag for all such objects is the generic @dfn{lrecord} +(Lisp_Record) tag. The first four bytes (or eight, for 64-bit machines) +of the object's structure are a pointer to a structure that describes +the object's type, which includes method pointers and a pointer to a +string naming the type. Note that it's possible to save some space by +using a one- or two-byte tag, rather than a four- or eight-byte pointer +to store the type, but it's not clear it's worth making the change. + +@itemize @bullet +@item +(c) Those lrecords that are allocated in frob blocks (see above). This +includes the objects that are most common and relatively small, and +includes floats, bytecodes, symbols (when not in category (b)), extents, +events, and markers. With the cleanup of frob blocks done in 19.12, +it's not terribly hard to add more objects to this category, but it's a +bit trickier than adding an object type to type (d) (esp. if the object +needs a finalization method), and is not likely to save much space +unless the object is small and there are many of them. (In fact, if +there are very few of them, it might actually waste space.) +@item +(d) Those lrecords that are individually @code{malloc()}ed. These are +called @dfn{lcrecords}. All other types are in this category. Adding a +new type to this category is comparatively easy, and all types added +since 19.8 (when the current allocation scheme was devised, by Richard +Mlynarik), with the exception of the character type, have been in this +category. +@end itemize + + Note that bit vectors are a bit of a special case. They are +simple lrecords as in category (c), but are individually @code{malloc()}ed +like vectors. You can basically view them as exactly like vectors +except that their type is stored in lrecord fashion rather than +in directly-tagged fashion. + + Note that FSF Emacs redesigned their object system in 19.29 to follow +a similar scheme. However, given RMS's expressed dislike for data +abstraction, the FSF scheme is not nearly as clean or as easy to +extend. (FSF calls items of type (c) @code{Lisp_Misc} and items of type +(d) @code{Lisp_Vectorlike}, with separate tags for each, although +@code{Lisp_Vectorlike} is also used for vectors.) + +@node Garbage Collection +@section Garbage Collection +@cindex garbage collection + +@cindex mark and sweep + Garbage collection is simple in theory but tricky to implement. +Emacs Lisp uses the oldest garbage collection method, called +@dfn{mark and sweep}. Garbage collection begins by starting with +all accessible locations (i.e. all variables and other slots where +Lisp objects might occur) and recursively traversing all objects +accessible from those slots, marking each one that is found. +We then go through all of memory and free each object that is +not marked, and unmarking each object that is marked. Note +that ``all of memory'' means all currently allocated objects. +Traversing all these objects means traversing all frob blocks, +all vectors (which are chained in one big list), and all +lcrecords (which are likewise chained). + + Note that, when an object is marked, the mark has to occur +inside of the object's structure, rather than in the 32-bit +@code{Lisp_Object} holding the object's pointer; i.e. you can't just +set the pointer's mark bit. This is because there may be many +pointers to the same object. This means that the method of +marking an object can differ depending on the type. The +different marking methods are approximately as follows: + +@enumerate +@item +For conses, the mark bit of the car is set. +@item +For strings, the mark bit of the string's plist is set. +@item +For symbols when not lrecords, the mark bit of the +symbol's plist is set. +@item +For vectors, the length is negated after adding 1. +@item +For lrecords, the pointer to the structure describing +the type is changed (see below). +@item +Integers and characters do not need to be marked, since +no allocation occurs for them. +@end enumerate + + The details of this are in the @code{mark_object()} function. + + Note that any code that operates during garbage collection has +to be especially careful because of the fact that some objects +may be marked and as such may not look like they normally do. +In particular: + +@itemize @bullet +Some object pointers may have their mark bit set. This will make +@code{FOOBARP()} predicates fail. Use @code{GC_FOOBARP()} to deal with +this. +@item +Even if you clear the mark bit, @code{FOOBARP()} will still fail +for lrecords because the implementation pointer has been +changed (see below). @code{GC_FOOBARP()} will correctly deal with +this. +@item +Vectors have their size field munged, so anything that +looks at this field will fail. +@item +Note that @code{XFOOBAR()} macros @emph{will} work correctly on object +pointers with their mark bit set, because the logical shift operations +that remove the tag also remove the mark bit. +@end itemize + + Finally, note that garbage collection can be invoked explicitly +by calling @code{garbage-collect} but is also called automatically +by @code{eval}, once a certain amount of memory has been allocated +since the last garbage collection (according to @code{gc-cons-threshold}). + +@node GCPROing +@section @code{GCPRO}ing + +@code{GCPRO}ing is one of the ugliest and trickiest parts of Emacs +internals. The basic idea is that whenever garbage collection +occurs, all in-use objects must be reachable somehow or +other from one of the roots of accessibility. The roots +of accessibility are: + +@enumerate +@item +All objects that have been @code{staticpro()}d. This is used for +any global C variables that hold Lisp objects. A call to +@code{staticpro()} happens implicitly as a result of any symbols +declared with @code{defsymbol()} and any variables declared with +@code{DEFVAR_FOO()}. You need to explicitly call @code{staticpro()} +(in the @code{vars_of_foo()} method of a module) for other global +C variables holding Lisp objects. (This typically includes +internal lists and such things.) + +Note that @code{obarray} is one of the @code{staticpro()}d things. +Therefore, all functions and variables get marked through this. +@item +Any shadowed bindings that are sitting on the specpdl stack. +@item +Any objects sitting in currently active stack frames, +catches, and condition cases. +@item +A couple of special-case places where active objects are +located. +@item +Anything currently marked with @code{GCPRO}. +@end enumerate + + Marking with @code{GCPRO} is necessary because some C functions (quite +a lot, in fact), allocate objects during their operation. Quite +frequently, there will be no other pointer to the object while the +function is running, and if a garbage collection occurs and the object +needs to be referenced again, bad things will happen. The solution is +to mark those objects with @code{GCPRO}. Unfortunately this is easy to +forget, and there is basically no way around this problem. Here are +some rules, though: + +@enumerate +@item +For every @code{GCPRO@var{n}}, there have to be declarations of +@code{struct gcpro gcpro1, gcpro2}, etc. + +@item +You @emph{must} @code{UNGCPRO} anything that's @code{GCPRO}ed, and you +@emph{must not} @code{UNGCPRO} if you haven't @code{GCPRO}ed. Getting +either of these wrong will lead to crashes, often in completely random +places unrelated to where the problem lies. + +@item +The way this actually works is that all currently active @code{GCPRO}s +are chained through the @code{struct gcpro} local variables, with the +variable @samp{gcprolist} pointing to the head of the list and the nth +local @code{gcpro} variable pointing to the first @code{gcpro} variable +in the next enclosing stack frame. Each @code{GCPRO}ed thing is an +lvalue, and the @code{struct gcpro} local variable contains a pointer to +this lvalue. This is why things will mess up badly if you don't pair up +the @code{GCPRO}s and @code{UNGCPRO}s -- you will end up with +@code{gcprolist}s containing pointers to @code{struct gcpro}s or local +@code{Lisp_Object} variables in no-longer-active stack frames. + +@item +It is actually possible for a single @code{struct gcpro} to +protect a contiguous array of any number of values, rather than +just a single lvalue. To effect this, call @code{GCPRO@var{n}} as usual on +the first object in the array and then set @code{gcpron.nvars}. + +@item +@strong{Strings are relocated.} What this means in practice is that the +pointer obtained using @code{string_data()} is liable to change at any +time, and you should never keep it around past any function call, or +pass it as an argument to any function that might cause a garbage +collection. This is why a number of functions accept either a +``non-relocatable'' @code{char *} pointer or a relocatable Lisp string, +and only access the Lisp string's data at the very last minute. In some +cases, you may end up having to @code{alloca()} some space and copy the +string's data into it. + +@item +By convention, if you have to nest @code{GCPRO}'s, use @code{NGCPRO@var{n}} +(along with @code{struct gcpro ngcpro1, ngcpro2}, etc.), @code{NNGCPRO@var{n}}, +etc. This avoids compiler warnings about shadowed locals. + +@item +It is @emph{always} better to err on the side of extra @code{GCPRO}s +rather than too few. The extra cycles spent on this are +almost never going to make a whit of difference in the +speed of anything. + +@item +The general rule to follow is that caller, not callee, @code{GCPRO}s. +That is, you should not have to explicitly @code{GCPRO} any Lisp objects +that are passed in as parameters, but if you create any Lisp objects +(remember, this happens in all sorts of circumstances, e.g. with +@code{Fcons()}, etc.), you are responsible for @code{GCPRO}ing the +objects unless you are @emph{absolutely sure} that there's no +possibility that a garbage-collection can occur while you need to use +the object. Even then, consider @code{GCPRO}ing. + +@item +A garbage collection can occur whenever anything calls @code{Feval}, or +whenever a QUIT can occur where execution can continue past +this. (Remember, this is almost anywhere.) + +@item +If you have the @emph{least smidgeon of doubt} about whether +you need to @code{GCPRO}, you should @code{GCPRO}. + +@item +Beware of @code{GCPRO}ing something that is uninitialized. If you have +any shade of doubt about this, initialize all your variables to Qnil. + +@item +Be careful of traps, like calling @code{Fcons()} in the argument to +another function. By the ``caller protects'' law, you should be +@code{GCPRO}ing the newly-created cons, but you aren't. A certain +number of functions that are commonly called on freshly created stuff +(e.g. @code{nconc2()}, @code{Fsignal()}), break the ``caller protects'' +law and go ahead and @code{GCPRO} their arguments so as to simplify +things, but make sure and check if it's OK whenever doing something like +this. + +@item +Once again, remember to @code{GCPRO}! Bugs resulting from insufficient +@code{GCPRO}ing are intermittent and extremely difficult to track down, +often showing up in crashes inside of @code{garbage-collect} or in +weirdly corrupted objects or even in incorrect values in a totally +different section of code. +@end enumerate + +@cindex garbage collection, conservative +@cindex conservative garbage collection + Given the extremely error-prone nature of the @code{GCPRO} scheme, and +the difficulties in tracking down, it should be considered a deficiency +in the XEmacs code. A solution to this problem would involve +implementing so-called @dfn{conservative} garbage collection for the C +stack. That involves looking through all of stack memory and treating +anything that looks like a reference to an object as a reference. This +will result in a few objects not getting collected when they should, but +it obviates the need for @code{GCPRO}ing, and allows garbage collection +to happen at any point at all, such as during object allocation. + +@node Integers and Characters +@section Integers and Characters + + Integer and character Lisp objects are created from integers using the +macros @code{XSETINT()} and @code{XSETCHAR()} or the equivalent +functions @code{make_int()} and @code{make_char()}. (These are actually +macros on most systems.) These functions basically just do some moving +of bits around, since the integral value of the object is stored +directly in the @code{Lisp_Object}. + + @code{XSETINT()} and the like will truncate values given to them that +are too big; i.e. you won't get the value you expected but the tag bits +will at least be correct. + +@node Allocation from Frob Blocks +@section Allocation from Frob Blocks + +The uninitialized memory required by a @code{Lisp_Object} of a particular type +is allocated using +@code{ALLOCATE_FIXED_TYPE()}. This only occurs inside of the +lowest-level object-creating functions in @file{alloc.c}: +@code{Fcons()}, @code{make_float()}, @code{Fmake_byte_code()}, +@code{Fmake_symbol()}, @code{allocate_extent()}, +@code{allocate_event()}, @code{Fmake_marker()}, and +@code{make_uninit_string()}. The idea is that, for each type, there are +a number of frob blocks (each 2K in size); each frob block is divided up +into object-sized chunks. Each frob block will have some of these +chunks that are currently assigned to objects, and perhaps some that are +free. (If a frob block has nothing but free chunks, it is freed at the +end of the garbage collection cycle.) The free chunks are stored in a +free list, which is chained by storing a pointer in the first four bytes +of the chunk. (Except for the free chunks at the end of the last frob +block, which are handled using an index which points past the end of the +last-allocated chunk in the last frob block.) +@code{ALLOCATE_FIXED_TYPE()} first tries to retrieve a chunk from the +free list; if that fails, it calls +@code{ALLOCATE_FIXED_TYPE_FROM_BLOCK()}, which looks at the end of the +last frob block for space, and creates a new frob block if there is +none. (There are actually two versions of these macros, one of which is +more defensive but less efficient and is used for error-checking.) + +@node lrecords +@section lrecords + + [see @file{lrecord.h}] + + All lrecords have at the beginning of their structure a @code{struct +lrecord_header}. This just contains a pointer to a @code{struct +lrecord_implementation}, which is a structure containing method pointers +and such. There is one of these for each type, and it is a global, +constant, statically-declared structure that is declared in the +@code{DEFINE_LRECORD_IMPLEMENTATION()} macro. (This macro actually +declares an array of two @code{struct lrecord_implementation} +structures. The first one contains all the standard method pointers, +and is used in all normal circumstances. During garbage collection, +however, the lrecord is @dfn{marked} by bumping its implementation +pointer by one, so that it points to the second structure in the array. +This structure contains a special indication in it that it's a +@dfn{marked-object} structure: the finalize method is the special +function @code{this_marks_a_marked_record()}, and all other methods are +null pointers. At the end of garbage collection, all lrecords will +either be reclaimed or unmarked by decrementing their implementation +pointers, so this second structure pointer will never remain past +garbage collection. + + Simple lrecords (of type (c) above) just have a @code{struct +lrecord_header} at their beginning. lcrecords, however, actually have a +@code{struct lcrecord_header}. This, in turn, has a @code{struct +lrecord_header} at its beginning, so sanity is preserved; but it also +has a pointer used to chain all lrecords together, and a special ID +field used to distinguish one lcrecord from another. (This field is used +only for debugging and could be removed, but the space gain is not +significant.) + + Simple lrecords are created using @code{ALLOCATE_FIXED_TYPE()}, just +like for other frob blocks. The only change is that the implementation +pointer must be initialized correctly. (The implementation structure for +an lrecord, or rather the pointer to it, is named @code{lrecord_float}, +@code{lrecord_extent}, @code{lrecord_buffer}, etc.) + + lcrecords are created using @code{alloc_lcrecord()}. This takes a +size to allocate and an implementation pointer. (The size needs to be +passed because some lcrecords, such as window configurations, are of +variable size.) This basically just @code{malloc()}s the storage, +initializes the @code{struct lcrecord_header}, and chains the lcrecord +onto the head of the list of all lcrecords, which is stored in the +variable @code{all_lcrecords}. The calls to @code{alloc_lcrecord()} +generally occur in the lowest-level allocation function for each lrecord +type. + +Whenever you create an lrecord, you need to call either +@code{DEFINE_LRECORD_IMPLEMENTATION()} or +@code{DEFINE_LRECORD_SEQUENCE_IMPLEMENTATION()}. This needs to be +specified in a C file, at the top level. What this actually does is +define and initialize the implementation structure for the lrecord. (And +possibly declares a function @code{error_check_foo()} that implements +the @code{XFOO()} macro when error-checking is enabled.) The arguments +to the macros are the actual type name (this is used to construct the C +variable name of the lrecord implementation structure and related +structures using the @samp{##} macro concatenation operator), a string +that names the type on the Lisp level (this may not be the same as the C +type name; typically, the C type name has underscores, while the Lisp +string has dashes), various method pointers, and the name of the C +structure that contains the object. The methods are used to encapsulate +type-specific information about the object, such as how to print it or +mark it for garbage collection, so that it's easy to add new object +types without having to add a specific case for each new type in a bunch +of different places. + + The difference between @code{DEFINE_LRECORD_IMPLEMENTATION()} and +@code{DEFINE_LRECORD_SEQUENCE_IMPLEMENTATION()} is that the former is +used for fixed-size object types and the latter is for variable-size +object types. Most object types are fixed-size; some complex +types, however (e.g. window configurations), are variable-size. +Variable-size object types have an extra method, which is called +to determine the actual size of a particular object of that type. +(Currently this is only used for keeping allocation statistics.) + + For the purpose of keeping allocation statistics, the allocation +engine keeps a list of all the different types that exist. Note that, +since @code{DEFINE_LRECORD_IMPLEMENTATION()} is a macro that is +specified at top-level, there is no way for it to add to the list of all +existing types. What happens instead is that each implementation +structure contains in it a dynamically assigned number that is +particular to that type. (Or rather, it contains a pointer to another +structure that contains this number. This evasiveness is done so that +the implementation structure can be declared const.) In the sweep stage +of garbage collection, each lrecord is examined to see if its +implementation structure has its dynamically-assigned number set. If +not, it must be a new type, and it is added to the list of known types +and a new number assigned. The number is used to index into an array +holding the number of objects of each type and the total memory +allocated for objects of that type. The statistics in this array are +also computed during the sweep stage. These statistics are returned by +the call to @code{garbage-collect} and are printed out at the end of the +loadup phase. + + Note that for every type defined with a @code{DEFINE_LRECORD_*()} +macro, there needs to be a @code{DECLARE_LRECORD_IMPLEMENTATION()} +somewhere in a @file{.h} file, and this @file{.h} file needs to be +included by @file{inline.c}. + + Furthermore, there should generally be a set of @code{XFOOBAR()}, +@code{FOOBARP()}, etc. macros in a @file{.h} (or occasionally @file{.c}) +file. To create one of these, copy an existing model and modify as +necessary. + + The various methods in the lrecord implementation structure are: + +@enumerate +@item +@cindex mark method +A @dfn{mark} method. This is called during the marking stage and passed +a function pointer (usually the @code{mark_object()} function), which is +used to mark an object. All Lisp objects that are contained within the +object need to be marked by applying this function to them. The mark +method should also return a Lisp object, which should be either nil or +an object to mark. (This can be used in lieu of calling +@code{mark_object()} on the object, to reduce the recursion depth, and +consequently should be the most heavily nested sub-object, such as a +long list.) + +@strong{Note}: When the mark method is called, garbage collection +is in progress, and special precautions need to be taken +when accessing objects; see section (B) above. + +If your mark method does not need to do anything, it can be +@code{NULL}. + +@item +A @dfn{print} method. This is called to create a printed representation +of the object, whenever @code{princ}, @code{prin1}, or the like is +called. It is passed the object, a stream to which the output is to be +directed, and an @code{escapeflag} which indicates whether the object's +printed representation should be @dfn{escaped} so that it is +readable. (This corresponds to the difference between @code{princ} and +@code{prin1}.) Basically, @dfn{escaped} means that strings will have +quotes around them and confusing characters in the strings such as +quotes, backslashes, and newlines will be backslashed; and that special +care will be taken to make symbols print in a readable fashion +(e.g. symbols that look like numbers will be backslashed). Other +readable objects should perhaps pass @code{escapeflag} on when +sub-objects are printed, so that readability is preserved when necessary +(or if not, always pass in a 1 for @code{escapeflag}). Non-readable +objects should in general ignore @code{escapeflag}, except that some use +it as an indication that more verbose output should be given. + +Sub-objects are printed using @code{print_internal()}, which takes +exactly the same arguments as are passed to the print method. + +Literal C strings should be printed using @code{write_c_string()}, +or @code{write_string_1()} for non-null-terminated strings. + +Functions that do not have a readable representation should check the +@code{print_readably} flag and signal an error if it is set. + +If you specify NULL for the print method, the +@code{default_object_printer()} will be used. + +@item +A @dfn{finalize} method. This is called at the beginning of the sweep +stage on lcrecords that are about to be freed, and should be used to +perform any extra object cleanup. This typically involves freeing any +extra @code{malloc()}ed memory associated with the object, releasing any +operating-system and window-system resources associated with the object +(e.g. pixmaps, fonts), etc. + +The finalize method can be NULL if nothing needs to be done. + +WARNING #1: The finalize method is also called at the end of the dump +phase; this time with the for_disksave parameter set to non-zero. The +object is @emph{not} about to disappear, so you have to make sure to +@emph{not} free any extra @code{malloc()}ed memory if you're going to +need it later. (Also, signal an error if there are any operating-system +and window-system resources here, because they can't be dumped.) + +Finalize methods should, as a rule, set to zero any pointers after +they've been freed, and check to make sure pointers are not zero before +freeing. Although I'm pretty sure that finalize methods are not called +twice on the same object (except for the @code{for_disksave} proviso), +we've gotten nastily burned in some cases by not doing this. + +WARNING #2: The finalize method is @emph{only} called for +lcrecords, @emph{not} for simply lrecords. If you need a +finalize method for simple lrecords, you have to stick +it in the @code{ADDITIONAL_FREE_foo()} macro in @file{alloc.c}. + +WARNING #3: Things are in an @emph{extremely} bizarre state +when @code{ADDITIONAL_FREE_foo()} is called, so you have to +be incredibly careful when writing one of these functions. +See the comment in @code{gc_sweep()}. If you ever have to add +one of these, consider using an lcrecord or dealing with +the problem in a different fashion. + +@item +An @dfn{equal} method. This compares the two objects for similarity, +when @code{equal} is called. It should compare the contents of the +objects in some reasonable fashion. It is passed the two objects and a +@dfn{depth} value, which is used to catch circular objects. To compare +sub-Lisp-objects, call @code{internal_equal()} and bump the depth value +by one. If this value gets too high, a @code{circular-object} error +will be signaled. + +If this is NULL, objects are @code{equal} only when they are @code{eq}, +i.e. identical. + +@item +A @dfn{hash} method. This is used to hash objects when they are to be +compared with @code{equal}. The rule here is that if two objects are +@code{equal}, they @emph{must} hash to the same value; i.e. your hash +function should use some subset of the sub-fields of the object that are +compared in the ``equal'' method. If you specify this method as +@code{NULL}, the object's pointer will be used as the hash, which will +@emph{fail} if the object has an @code{equal} method, so don't do this. + +To hash a sub-Lisp-object, call @code{internal_hash()}. Bump the +depth by one, just like in the ``equal'' method. + +To convert a Lisp object directly into a hash value (using +its pointer), use @code{LISP_HASH()}. This is what happens when +the hash method is NULL. + +To hash two or more values together into a single value, use +@code{HASH2()}, @code{HASH3()}, @code{HASH4()}, etc. + +@item +@dfn{getprop}, @dfn{putprop}, @dfn{remprop}, and @dfn{plist} methods. +These are used for object types that have properties. I don't feel like +documenting them here. If you create one of these objects, you have to +use different macros to define them, +i.e. @code{DEFINE_LRECORD_IMPLEMENTATION_WITH_PROPS()} or +@code{DEFINE_LRECORD_SEQUENCE_IMPLEMENTATION_WITH_PROPS()}. + +@item +A @dfn{size_in_bytes} method, when the object is of variable-size. +(i.e. declared with a @code{_SEQUENCE_IMPLEMENTATION} macro.) This should +simply return the object's size in bytes, exactly as you might expect. +For an example, see the methods for window configurations and opaques. +@end enumerate + +@node Low-level allocation +@section Low-level allocation + + Memory that you want to allocate directly should be allocated using +@code{xmalloc()} rather than @code{malloc()}. This implements +error-checking on the return value, and once upon a time did some more +vital stuff (i.e. @code{BLOCK_INPUT}, which is no longer necessary). +Free using @code{xfree()}, and realloc using @code{xrealloc()}. Note +that @code{xmalloc()} will do a non-local exit if the memory can't be +allocated. (Many functions, however, do not expect this, and thus XEmacs +will likely crash if this happens. @strong{This is a bug.} If you can, +you should strive to make your function handle this OK. However, it's +difficult in the general circumstance, perhaps requiring extra +unwind-protects and such.) + + Note that XEmacs provides two separate replacements for the standard +@code{malloc()} library function. These are called @dfn{old GNU malloc} +(@file{malloc.c}) and @dfn{new GNU malloc} (@file{gmalloc.c}), +respectively. New GNU malloc is better in pretty much every way than +old GNU malloc, and should be used if possible. (It used to be that on +some systems, the old one worked but the new one didn't. I think this +was due specifically to a bug in SunOS, which the new one now works +around; so I don't think the old one ever has to be used any more.) The +primary difference between both of these mallocs and the standard system +malloc is that they are much faster, at the expense of increased space. +The basic idea is that memory is allocated in fixed chunks of powers of +two. This allows for basically constant malloc time, since the various +chunks can just be kept on a number of free lists. (The standard system +malloc typically allocates arbitrary-sized chunks and has to spend some +time, sometimes a significant amount of time, walking the heap looking +for a free block to use and cleaning things up.) The new GNU malloc +improves on things by allocating large objects in chunks of 4096 bytes +rather than in ever larger powers of two, which results in ever larger +wastage. There is a slight speed loss here, but it's of doubtful +significance. + + NOTE: Apparently there is a third-generation GNU malloc that is +significantly better than the new GNU malloc, and should probably +be included in XEmacs. + + There is also the relocating allocator, @file{ralloc.c}. This actually +moves blocks of memory around so that the @code{sbrk()} pointer shrunk +and virtual memory released back to the system. On some systems, +this is a big win. On all systems, it causes a noticeable (and +sometimes huge) speed penalty, so I turn it off by default. +@file{ralloc.c} only works with the new GNU malloc in @file{gmalloc.c}. +There are also two versions of @file{ralloc.c}, one that uses @code{mmap()} +rather than block copies to move data around. This purports to +be faster, although that depends on the amount of data that would +have had to be block copied and the system-call overhead for +@code{mmap()}. I don't know exactly how this works, except that the +relocating-allocation routines are pretty much used only for +the memory allocated for a buffer, which is the biggest consumer +of space, esp. of space that may get freed later. + + Note that the GNU mallocs have some ``memory warning'' facilities. +XEmacs taps into them and issues a warning through the standard +warning system, when memory gets to 75%, 85%, and 95% full. +(On some systems, the memory warnings are not functional.) + + Allocated memory that is going to be used to make a Lisp object +is created using @code{allocate_lisp_storage()}. This calls @code{xmalloc()} +but also verifies that the pointer to the memory can fit into +a Lisp word (remember that some bits are taken away for a type +tag and a mark bit). If not, an error is issued through @code{memory_full()}. +@code{allocate_lisp_storage()} is called by @code{alloc_lcrecord()}, +@code{ALLOCATE_FIXED_TYPE()}, and the vector and bit-vector creation +routines. These routines also call @code{INCREMENT_CONS_COUNTER()} at the +appropriate times; this keeps statistics on how much memory is +allocated, so that garbage-collection can be invoked when the +threshold is reached. + +@node Pure Space +@section Pure Space + + Not yet documented. + +@node Cons +@section Cons + + Conses are allocated in standard frob blocks. The only thing to +note is that conses can be explicitly freed using @code{free_cons()} +and associated functions @code{free_list()} and @code{free_alist()}. This +immediately puts the conses onto the cons free list, and decrements +the statistics on memory allocation appropriately. This is used +to good effect by some extremely commonly-used code, to avoid +generating extra objects and thereby triggering GC sooner. +However, you have to be @emph{extremely} careful when doing this. +If you mess this up, you will get BADLY BURNED, and it has happened +before. + +@node Vector +@section Vector + + As mentioned above, each vector is @code{malloc()}ed individually, and +all are threaded through the variable @code{all_vectors}. Vectors are +marked strangely during garbage collection, by kludging the size field. +Note that the @code{struct Lisp_Vector} is declared with its contents +being an array of one element. It is actually @code{malloc()}ed with +the right size, however, and access to any element through the contents +array works fine. + +@node Bit Vector +@section Bit Vector + + Bit vectors work exactly like vectors, except for more complicated +code to access an individual bit, and except for the fact that bit +vectors are lrecords while vectors are not. (The only difference here is +that there's an lrecord implementation pointer at the beginning and the +tag field in bit vector Lisp words is ``lrecord'' rather than +``vector''.) + +@node Symbol +@section Symbol + + Symbols are also allocated in frob blocks. Note that the code +exists for symbols to be either lrecords (category (c) above) +or simple types (category (b) above), and are lrecords by +default (I think), although there is no good reason for this. + + Note that symbols in the awful horrible obarray structure are +chained through their @code{next} field. + +Remember that @code{intern} looks up a symbol in an obarray, creating +one if necessary. + +@node Marker +@section Marker + + Markers are allocated in frob blocks, as usual. They are kept +in a buffer unordered, but in a doubly-linked list so that they +can easily be removed. (Formerly this was a singly-linked list, +but in some cases garbage collection took an extraordinarily +long time due to the O(N^2) time required to remove lots of +markers from a buffer.) Markers are removed from a buffer in +the finalize stage, in @code{ADDITIONAL_FREE_marker()}. + +@node String +@section String + + As mentioned above, strings are a special case. A string is logically +two parts, a fixed-size object (containing the length, property list, +and a pointer to the actual data), and the actual data in the string. +The fixed-size object is a @code{struct Lisp_String} and is allocated in +frob blocks, as usual. The actual data is stored in special +@dfn{string-chars blocks}, which are 8K blocks of memory. +Currently-allocated strings are simply laid end to end in these +string-chars blocks, with a pointer back to the @code{struct Lisp_String} +stored before each string in the string-chars block. When a new string +needs to be allocated, the remaining space at the end of the last +string-chars block is used if there's enough, and a new string-chars +block is created otherwise. + + There are never any holes in the string-chars blocks due to the string +compaction and relocation that happens at the end of garbage collection. +During the sweep stage of garbage collection, when objects are +reclaimed, the garbage collector goes through all string-chars blocks, +looking for unused strings. Each chunk of string data is preceded by a +pointer to the corresponding @code{struct Lisp_String}, which indicates +both whether the string is used and how big the string is, i.e. how to +get to the next chuck of string data. Holes are compressed by +block-copying the next string into the empty space and relocating the +pointer stored in the corresponding @code{struct Lisp_String}. +@strong{This means you have to be careful with strings in your code.} +See the section above on @code{GCPRO}ing. + + Note that there is one situation not handled: a string that is too big +to fit into a string-chars block. Such strings, called @dfn{big +strings}, are all @code{malloc()}ed as their own block. (#### Although it +would make more sense for the threshold for big strings to be somewhat +lower, e.g. 1/2 or 1/4 the size of a string-chars block. It seems that +this was indeed the case formerly -- indeed, the threshold was set at +1/8 -- but Mly forgot about this when rewriting things for 19.8.) + +Note also that the string data in string-chars blocks is padded as +necessary so that proper alignment constraints on the @code{struct +Lisp_String} back pointers are maintained. + + Finally, strings can be resized. This happens in Mule when a +character is substituted with a different-length character, or during +modeline frobbing. (You could also export this to Lisp, but it's not +done so currently.) Resizing a string is a potentially tricky process. +If the change is small enough that the padding can absorb it, nothing +other than a simple memory move needs to be done. Keep in mind, +however, that the string can't shrink too much because the offset to the +next string in the string-chars block is computed by looking at the +length and rounding to the nearest multiple of four or eight. If the +string would shrink or expand beyond the correct padding, new string +data needs to be allocated at the end of the last string-chars block and +the data moved appropriately. This leaves some dead string data, which +is marked by putting a special marker of 0xFFFFFFFF in the @code{struct +Lisp_String} pointer before the data (there's no real @code{struct +Lisp_String} to point to and relocate), and storing the size of the dead +string data (which would normally be obtained from the now-non-existent +@code{struct Lisp_String}) at the beginning of the dead string data gap. +The string compactor recognizes this special 0xFFFFFFFF marker and +handles it correctly. + +@node Bytecode +@section Bytecode + + Not yet documented. + +@node Events and the Event Loop, Evaluation; Stack Frames; Bindings, Allocation of Objects in XEmacs Lisp, Top +@chapter Events and the Event Loop + +@menu +* Introduction to Events:: +* Main Loop:: +* Specifics of the Event Gathering Mechanism:: +* Specifics About the Emacs Event:: +* The Event Stream Callback Routines:: +* Other Event Loop Functions:: +* Converting Events:: +* Dispatching Events; The Command Builder:: +@end menu + +@node Introduction to Events +@section Introduction to Events + + An event is an object that encapsulates information about an +interesting occurrence in the operating system. Events are +generated either by user action, direct (e.g. typing on the +keyboard or moving the mouse) or indirect (moving another +window, thereby generating an expose event on an Emacs frame), +or as a result of some other typically asynchronous action happening, +such as output from a subprocess being ready or a timer expiring. +Events come into the system in an asynchronous fashion (typically +through a callback being called) and are converted into a +synchronous event queue (first-in, first-out) in a process that +we will call @dfn{collection}. + + Note that each application has their own event queue. (It is +immaterial whether the collection process directly puts the +events in the proper application's queue, or puts them into +a single system queue, which is later split up.) + + The most basic level of event collection is done by the +operating system or window system. Typically, XEmacs does +its own event collection as well. Often there are multiple +layers of collection in XEmacs, with events from various +sources being collected into a queue, which is then combined +with other sources to go into another queue (i.e. a second +level of collection), with perhaps another level on top of +this, etc. + + XEmacs has its own types of events (called @dfn{Emacs events}), +which provides an abstract layer on top of the system-dependent +nature of the most basic events that are received. Part of the +complex nature of the XEmacs event collection process involves +converting from the operating-system events into the proper +Emacs events -- there may not be a one-to-one correspondence. + + Emacs events are documented in @file{events.h}; I'll discuss them +later. + +@node Main Loop +@section Main Loop + + The @dfn{command loop} is the top-level loop that the editor is always +running. It loops endlessly, calling @code{next-event} to retrieve an +event and @code{dispatch-event} to execute it. @code{dispatch-event} does +the appropriate thing with non-user events (process, timeout, +magic, eval, mouse motion); this involves calling a Lisp handler +function, redrawing a newly-exposed part of a frame, reading +subprocess output, etc. For user events, @code{dispatch-event} +looks up the event in relevant keymaps or menubars; when a +full key sequence or menubar selection is reached, the appropriate +function is executed. @code{dispatch-event} may have to keep state +across calls; this is done in the ``command-builder'' structure +associated with each console (remember, there's usually only +one console), and the engine that looks up keystrokes and +constructs full key sequences is called the @dfn{command builder}. +This is documented elsewhere. + + The guts of the command loop are in @code{command_loop_1()}. This +function doesn't catch errors, though -- that's the job of +@code{command_loop_2()}, which is a condition-case (i.e. error-trapping) +wrapper around @code{command_loop_1()}. @code{command_loop_1()} never +returns, but may get thrown out of. + + When an error occurs, @code{cmd_error()} is called, which usually +invokes the Lisp error handler in @code{command-error}; however, a +default error handler is provided if @code{command-error} is @code{nil} +(e.g. during startup). The purpose of the error handler is simply to +display the error message and do associated cleanup; it does not need to +throw anywhere. When the error handler finishes, the condition-case in +@code{command_loop_2()} will finish and @code{command_loop_2()} will +reinvoke @code{command_loop_1()}. + + @code{command_loop_2()} is invoked from three places: from +@code{initial_command_loop()} (called from @code{main()} at the end of +internal initialization), from the Lisp function @code{recursive-edit}, +and from @code{call_command_loop()}. + + @code{call_command_loop()} is called when a macro is started and when +the minibuffer is entered; normal termination of the macro or minibuffer +causes a throw out of the recursive command loop. (To +@code{execute-kbd-macro} for macros and @code{exit} for minibuffers. +Note also that the low-level minibuffer-entering function, +@code{read-minibuffer-internal}, provides its own error handling and +does not need @code{command_loop_2()}'s error encapsulation; so it tells +@code{call_command_loop()} to invoke @code{command_loop_1()} directly.) + + Note that both read-minibuffer-internal and recursive-edit set up a +catch for @code{exit}; this is why @code{abort-recursive-edit}, which +throws to this catch, exits out of either one. + + @code{initial_command_loop()}, called from @code{main()}, sets up a +catch for @code{top-level} when invoking @code{command_loop_2()}, +allowing functions to throw all the way to the top level if they really +need to. Before invoking @code{command_loop_2()}, +@code{initial_command_loop()} calls @code{top_level_1()}, which handles +all of the startup stuff (creating the initial frame, handling the +command-line options, loading the user's @file{.emacs} file, etc.). The +function that actually does this is in Lisp and is pointed to by the +variable @code{top-level}; normally this function is +@code{normal-top-level}. @code{top_level_1()} is just an error-handling +wrapper similar to @code{command_loop_2()}. Note also that +@code{initial_command_loop()} sets up a catch for @code{top-level} when +invoking @code{top_level_1()}, just like when it invokes +@code{command_loop_2()}. + +@node Specifics of the Event Gathering Mechanism +@section Specifics of the Event Gathering Mechanism + + Here is an approximate diagram of the collection processes +at work in XEmacs, under TTY's (TTY's are simpler than X +so we'll look at this first): + +@noindent +@example + asynch. asynch. asynch. asynch. [Collectors in +kbd events kbd events process process the OS] + | | output output + | | | | + | | | | SIGINT, [signal handlers + | | | | SIGQUIT, in XEmacs] + V V V V SIGWINCH, + file file file file SIGALRM + desc. desc. desc. desc. | + (TTY) (TTY) (pipe) (pipe) | + | | | | fake timeouts + | | | | file | + | | | | desc. | + | | | | (pipe) | + | | | | | | + | | | | | | + | | | | | | + V V V V V V + ------>-----------<----------------<---------------- + | + | + | [collected using select() in emacs_tty_next_event() + | and converted to the appropriate Emacs event] + | + | + V (above this line is TTY-specific) + Emacs ------------------------------------------------ + event (below this line is the generic event mechanism) + | + | +was there if not, call +a SIGINT? emacs_tty_next_event() + | | + | | + | | + V V + --->-------<---- + | + | [collected in event_stream_next_event(); + | SIGINT is converted using maybe_read_quit_event()] + V + Emacs + event + | + \---->------>----- maybe_kbd_translate() ---->---\ + | + | + | + command event queue | + if not from command + (contains events that were event queue, call + read earlier but not processed, event_stream_next_event() + typically when waiting in a | + sit-for, sleep-for, etc. for | + a particular event to be received) | + | | + | | + V V + ---->------------------------------------<---- + | + | [collected in + | next_event_internal()] + | + unread- unread- event from | + command- command- keyboard else, call + events event macro next_event_internal() + | | | | + | | | | + | | | | + V V V V + --------->----------------------<------------ + | + | [collected in `next-event', which may loop + | more than once if the event it gets is on + | a dead frame, device, etc.] + | + | + V + feed into top-level event loop, + which repeatedly calls `next-event' + and then dispatches the event + using `dispatch-event' +@end example + +Notice the separation between TTY-specific and generic event mechanism. +When using the Xt-based event loop, the TTY-specific stuff is replaced +but the rest stays the same. + +It's also important to realize that only one different kind of +system-specific event loop can be operating at a time, and must be able +to receive all kinds of events simultaneously. For the two existing +event loops (implemented in @file{event-tty.c} and @file{event-Xt.c}, +respectively), the TTY event loop @emph{only} handles TTY consoles, +while the Xt event loop handles @emph{both} TTY and X consoles. This +situation is different from all of the output handlers, where you simply +have one per console type. + + Here's the Xt Event Loop Diagram (notice that below a certain point, +it's the same as the above diagram): + +@example +asynch. asynch. asynch. asynch. [Collectors in + kbd kbd process process the OS] +events events output output + | | | | + | | | | asynch. asynch. [Collectors in the + | | | | X X OS and X Window System] + | | | | events events + | | | | | | + | | | | | | + | | | | | | SIGINT, [signal handlers + | | | | | | SIGQUIT, in XEmacs] + | | | | | | SIGWINCH, + | | | | | | SIGALRM + | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | timeouts + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | V | + V V V V V V fake | + file file file file file file file | + desc. desc. desc. desc. desc. desc. desc. | + (TTY) (TTY) (pipe) (pipe) (socket) (socket) (pipe) | + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + V V V V V V V V + --->----------------------------------------<---------<------ + | | | + | | | [collected using select() in + | | | _XtWaitForSomething(), called + | | | from XtAppProcessEvent(), called + | | | in emacs_Xt_next_event(); + | | | dispatched to various callbacks] + | | | + | | | + emacs_Xt_ p_s_callback(), | [popup_selection_callback] + event_handler() x_u_v_s_callback(),| [x_update_vertical_scrollbar_ + | x_u_h_s_callback(),| callback] + | search_callback() | [x_update_horizontal_scrollbar_ + | | | callback] + | | | + | | | + enqueue_Xt_ signal_special_ | + dispatch_event() Xt_user_event() | + [maybe multiple | | + times, maybe 0 | | + times] | | + | enqueue_Xt_ | + | dispatch_event() | + | | | + | | | + V V | + -->----------<-- | + | | + | | + dispatch Xt_what_callback() + event sets flags + queue | + | | + | | + | | + | | + ---->-----------<-------- + | + | + | [collected and converted as appropriate in + | emacs_Xt_next_event()] + | + | + V (above this line is Xt-specific) + Emacs ------------------------------------------------ + event (below this line is the generic event mechanism) + | + | +was there if not, call +a SIGINT? emacs_Xt_next_event() + | | + | | + | | + V V + --->-------<---- + | + | [collected in event_stream_next_event(); + | SIGINT is converted using maybe_read_quit_event()] + V + Emacs + event + | + \---->------>----- maybe_kbd_translate() -->-----\ + | + | + | + command event queue | + if not from command + (contains events that were event queue, call + read earlier but not processed, event_stream_next_event() + typically when waiting in a | + sit-for, sleep-for, etc. for | + a particular event to be received) | + | | + | | + V V + ---->----------------------------------<------ + | + | [collected in + | next_event_internal()] + | + unread- unread- event from | + command- command- keyboard else, call + events event macro next_event_internal() + | | | | + | | | | + | | | | + V V V V + --------->----------------------<------------ + | + | [collected in `next-event', which may loop + | more than once if the event it gets is on + | a dead frame, device, etc.] + | + | + V + feed into top-level event loop, + which repeatedly calls `next-event' + and then dispatches the event + using `dispatch-event' +@end example + +@node Specifics About the Emacs Event +@section Specifics About the Emacs Event + +@node The Event Stream Callback Routines +@section The Event Stream Callback Routines + +@node Other Event Loop Functions +@section Other Event Loop Functions + + @code{detect_input_pending()} and @code{input-pending-p} look for +input by calling @code{event_stream->event_pending_p} and looking in +@code{[V]unread-command-event} and the @code{command_event_queue} (they +do not check for an executing keyboard macro, though). + + @code{discard-input} cancels any command events pending (and any +keyboard macros currently executing), and puts the others onto the +@code{command_event_queue}. There is a comment about a ``race +condition'', which is not a good sign. + + @code{next-command-event} and @code{read-char} are higher-level +interfaces to @code{next-event}. @code{next-command-event} gets the +next @dfn{command} event (i.e. keypress, mouse event, or menu +selection), calling dispatch-event on any others. @code{read-char} +calls @code{next-command-event} and uses @code{event_to_character()} to +return the ASCII equivalent. + +@node Converting Events +@section Converting Events + + @code{character_to_event()}, @code{event_to_character()}, +@code{event-to-character}, and @code{character-to-event} convert between +ASCII characters and keypresses corresponding to the characters. If the +event was not a keypress, @code{event_to_character()} returns -1 and +@code{event-to-character} returns @code{nil}. These functions convert +between ASCII representation and the split-up event representation +(keysym plus mod keys). + +@node Dispatching Events; The Command Builder +@section Dispatching Events; The Command Builder + +Not yet documented. + +@node Evaluation; Stack Frames; Bindings, Symbols and Variables, Events and the Event Loop, Top +@chapter Evaluation; Stack Frames; Bindings + +@menu +* Evaluation:: +* Dynamic Binding; The specbinding Stack; Unwind-Protects:: +* Simple Special Forms:: +* Catch and Throw:: +@end menu + +@node Evaluation +@section Evaluation + + @code{Feval()} evaluates the form (a Lisp object) that is passed to +it. Note that evaluation is only non-trivial for two types of objects: +symbols and conses. Under normal circumstances (i.e. not mocklisp) a +symbol is evaluated simply by calling symbol-value on it and returning +the value. + + Evaluating a cons means calling a function. First, @code{eval} checks +to see if garbage-collection is necessary, and calls +@code{Fgarbage_collect()} if so. It then increases the evaluation depth +by 1 (@code{lisp_eval_depth}, which is always less than @code{max_lisp_eval_depth}) and adds an +element to the linked list of @code{struct backtrace}'s +(@code{backtrace_list}). Each such structure contains a pointer to the +function being called plus a list of the function's arguments. +Originally these values are stored unevalled, and as they are evaluated, +the backtrace structure is updated. Garbage collection pays attention +to the objects pointed to in the backtrace structures (garbage +collection might happen while a function is being called or while an +argument is being evaluated, and there could easily be no other +references to the arguments in the argument list; once an argument is +evaluated, however, the unevalled version is not needed by eval, and so +the backtrace structure is changed). + + At this point, the function to be called is determined by looking at +the car of the cons (if this is a symbol, its function definition is +retrieved and the process repeated). The function should then consist +of either a Lisp_Subr (built-in function), a Lisp_Compiled object, or a +cons whose car is the symbol @code{autoload}, @code{macro}, +@code{lambda}, or @code{mocklisp}. + + If the function is a Lisp_Subr, the lisp object points to a struct +Lisp_Subr (created by @code{DEFUN()}), which contains a pointer to the C +function, a minimum and maximum number of arguments (possibly the +special constants @code{MANY} or @code{UNEVALLED}), a pointer to the +symbol referring to that subr, and a couple of other things. If the +subr wants its arguments @code{UNEVALLED}, they are passed raw as a +list. Otherwise, an array of evaluated arguments is created and put +into the backtrace structure, and either passed whole (@code{MANY}) or +each argument is passed as a C argument. + + If the function is a Lisp_Compiled object or a lambda, +@code{apply_lambda()} is called. If the function is a macro, +[..... fill in] is done. If the function is an autoload, +@code{do_autoload()} is called to load the definition and then eval +starts over [explain this more]. If the function is a mocklisp, +@code{ml_apply()} is called. + + When @code{Feval} exits, the evaluation depth is reduced by one, the +debugger is called if appropriate, and the current backtrace structure +is removed from the list. + + @code{apply_lambda()} is passed a function, a list of arguments, and a +flag indicating whether to evaluate the arguments. It creates an array +of (possibly) evaluated arguments and fixes up the backtrace structure, +just like eval does. Then it calls @code{funcall_lambda()}. + + @code{funcall_lambda()} goes through the formal arguments to the +function and binds them to the actual arguments, checking for +@code{&rest} and @code{&optional} symbols in the formal arguments and +making sure the number of actual arguments is correct. Then either +progn or byte-code is called to actually execute the body and return a +value. + + @code{Ffuncall()} implements Lisp @code{funcall}. @code{(funcall fun +x1 x2 x3 ...)} is equivalent to @code{(eval (list fun (quote x1) (quote +x2) (quote x3) ...))}. @code{Ffuncall()} contains its own code to do +the evaluation, however, and is almost identical to eval. + + @code{Fapply()} implements Lisp @code{apply}, which is very similar to +funcall except that if the last argument is a list, the result is the +same as if each of the arguments in the list had been passed separately. +@code{Fapply()} does some business to expand the last argument if it's a +list, then calls @code{Ffuncall()} to do the work. + + @code{apply1()}, @code{call0()}, @code{call1()}, @code{call2()}, and +@code{call3()} call a function, passing it the argument(s) given (the +arguments are given as separate C arguments rather than being passed as +an array). @code{apply1()} uses @code{apply} while the others use +@code{funcall}. + +@node Dynamic Binding; The specbinding Stack; Unwind-Protects +@section Dynamic Binding; The specbinding Stack; Unwind-Protects + +@example +struct specbinding +@{ + Lisp_Object symbol, old_value; + Lisp_Object (*func) (); + Lisp_Object unused; /* Dividing by 16 is faster than by 12 */ +@}; +@end example + + @code{struct specbinding} is used for local-variable bindings and +unwind-protects. @code{specpdl} holds an array of @code{struct specbinding}'s, +@code{specpdl_ptr} points to the beginning of the free bindings in the +array, @code{specpdl_size} specifies the total number of binding slots +in the array, and @code{max_specpdl_size} specifies the maximum number +of bindings the array can be expanded to hold. @code{grow_specpdl()} +increases the size of the specpdl array, multiplying its size by 2 but +never exceeding max_specpdl_size (except that if this number is less +than 400, it is first set to 400). + + @code{specbind()} binds a symbol to a value and is used for local +variables and @code{let} forms. The symbol and its old value (which +might be @code{Qunbound}, indicating no prior value) are recorded in the +specpdl array, and @code{specpdl_size} is increased by 1. + + @code{record_unwind_protect()} implements an @dfn{unwind-protect}, +which, when placed around a section of code, ensures that some specified +cleanup routine will be executed even if the code exits abnormally +(e.g. through a throw or quit). @code{record_unwind_protect()} simply +adds a new specbinding to the specpdl array and stores the appropriate +information in it. The cleanup routine can either be a C function, +which is stored in the @code{func} field, or a progn form, which is stored in +the @code{old_value} field. + + @code{unbind_to()} removes specbindings from the specpdl array until +the specified position is reached. The specbinding can be one of three +types: + +@enumerate +@item +an unwind-protect with a C cleanup function (@code{func} is not 0 -- +@code{old_value} holds an argument to be passed to the function); +@item +an unwind-protect with a Lisp form (@code{func} is 0 and @code{symbol} +is @code{nil} -- @code{old_value} holds the form to be executed with +@code{Fprogn()}); or +@item +a local-variable binding (@code{func} is 0 and @code{symbol} is not +@code{nil} -- @code{old_value} holds the old value, which is stored as +the symbol's value). +@end enumerate + +@node Simple Special Forms +@section Simple Special Forms + +@code{or}, @code{and}, @code{if}, @code{cond}, @code{progn}, +@code{prog1}, @code{prog2}, @code{setq}, @code{quote}, @code{function}, +@code{let*}, @code{let}, @code{while} + + All of these are very simple and work as expected, calling +@code{Feval()} or @code{Fprogn()} as necessary and (in the case of +@code{let} and @code{let*}) using @code{specbind()} to create bindings +and @code{unbind_to()} to undo the bindings when finished. Note that +these functions do a lot of @code{GCPRO}ing to protect their arguments +from garbage collection because they call @code{Feval()} (@pxref{Garbage +Collection}). + +@node Catch and Throw +@section Catch and Throw + +@example +struct catchtag +@{ + Lisp_Object tag; + Lisp_Object val; + struct catchtag *next; + struct gcpro *gcpro; + jmp_buf jmp; + struct backtrace *backlist; + int lisp_eval_depth; + int pdlcount; +@}; +@end example + + @code{catch} is a Lisp function that places a catch around a body of +code. A catch is a means of non-local exit from the code. When a catch +is created, a tag is specified, and executing a @code{throw} to this tag +will exit from the body of code caught with this tag, and its value will +be the value given in the call to @code{throw}. If there is no such +call, the code will be executed normally. + + Information pertaining to a catch is held in a @code{struct catchtag}, +which is placed at the head of a linked list pointed to by +@code{catchlist}. @code{internal_catch()} is passed a C function to +call (@code{Fprogn()} when Lisp @code{catch} is called) and arguments to +give it, and places a catch around the function. Each @code{struct +catchtag} is held in the stack frame of the @code{internal_catch()} +instance that created the catch. + + @code{internal_catch()} is fairly straightforward. It stores into the +@code{struct catchtag} the tag name and the current values of +@code{backtrace_list}, @code{lisp_eval_depth}, @code{gcprolist}, and the +offset into the specpdl array, sets a jump point with @code{_setjmp()} +(storing the jump point into the @code{struct catchtag}), and calls the +function. Control will return to @code{internal_catch()} either when +the function exits normally or through a @code{_longjmp()} to this jump +point. In the latter case, @code{throw} will store the value to be +returned into the @code{struct catchtag} before jumping. When it's +done, @code{internal_catch()} removes the @code{struct catchtag} from +the catchlist and returns the proper value. + + @code{Fthrow()} goes up through the catchlist until it finds one with +a matching tag. It then calls @code{unbind_catch()} to restore +everything to what it was when the appropriate catch was set, stores the +return value in the @code{struct catchtag}, and jumps (with +@code{_longjmp()}) to its jump point. + + @code{unbind_catch()} removes all catches from the catchlist until it +finds the correct one. Some of the catches might have been placed for +error-trapping, and if so, the appropriate entries on the handlerlist +must be removed (see ``errors''). @code{unbind_catch()} also restores +the values of @code{gcprolist}, @code{backtrace_list}, and +@code{lisp_eval}, and calls @code{unbind_to()} to undo any specbindings +created since the catch. + + +@node Symbols and Variables, Buffers and Textual Representation, Evaluation; Stack Frames; Bindings, Top +@chapter Symbols and Variables + +@menu +* Introduction to Symbols:: +* Obarrays:: +* Symbol Values:: +@end menu + +@node Introduction to Symbols +@section Introduction to Symbols + + A symbol is basically just an object with four fields: a name (a +string), a value (some Lisp object), a function (some Lisp object), and +a property list (usually a list of alternating keyword/value pairs). +What makes symbols special is that there is usually only one symbol with +a given name, and the symbol is referred to by name. This makes a +symbol a convenient way of calling up data by name, i.e. of implementing +variables. (The variable's value is stored in the @dfn{value slot}.) +Similarly, functions are referenced by name, and the definition of the +function is stored in a symbol's @dfn{function slot}. This means that +there can be a distinct function and variable with the same name. The +property list is used as a more general mechanism of associating +additional values with particular names, and once again the namespace is +independent of the function and variable namespaces. + +@node Obarrays +@section Obarrays + + The identity of symbols with their names is accomplished through a +structure called an obarray, which is just a poorly-implemented hash +table mapping from strings to symbols whose name is that string. (I say +``poorly implemented'' because an obarray appears in Lisp as a vector +with some hidden fields rather than as its own opaque type. This is an +Emacs Lisp artifact that should be fixed.) + + Obarrays are implemented as a vector of some fixed size (which should +be a prime for best results), where each ``bucket'' of the vector +contains one or more symbols, threaded through a hidden @code{next} +field in the symbol. Lookup of a symbol in an obarray, and adding a +symbol to an obarray, is accomplished through standard hash-table +techniques. + + The standard Lisp function for working with symbols and obarrays is +@code{intern}. This looks up a symbol in an obarray given its name; if +it's not found, a new symbol is automatically created with the specified +name, added to the obarray, and returned. This is what happens when the +Lisp reader encounters a symbol (or more precisely, encounters the name +of a symbol) in some text that it is reading. There is a standard +obarray called @code{obarray} that is used for this purpose, although +the Lisp programmer is free to create his own obarrays and @code{intern} +symbols in them. + + Note that, once a symbol is in an obarray, it stays there until +something is done about it, and the standard obarray @code{obarray} +always stays around, so once you use any particular variable name, a +corresponding symbol will stay around in @code{obarray} until you exit +XEmacs. + + Note that @code{obarray} itself is a variable, and as such there is a +symbol in @code{obarray} whose name is @code{"obarray"} and which +contains @code{obarray} as its value. + + Note also that this call to @code{intern} occurs only when in the Lisp +reader, not when the code is executed (at which point the symbol is +already around, stored as such in the definition of the function). + + You can create your own obarray using @code{make-vector} (this is +horrible but is an artifact) and intern symbols into that obarray. +Doing that will result in two or more symbols with the same name. +However, at most one of these symbols is in the standard @code{obarray}: +You cannot have two symbols of the same name in any particular obarray. +Note that you cannot add a symbol to an obarray in any fashion other +than using @code{intern}: i.e. you can't take an existing symbol and put +it in an existing obarray. Nor can you change the name of an existing +symbol. (Since obarrays are vectors, you can violate the consistency of +things by storing directly into the vector, but let's ignore that +possibility.) + + Usually symbols are created by @code{intern}, but if you really want, +you can explicitly create a symbol using @code{make-symbol}, giving it +some name. The resulting symbol is not in any obarray (i.e. it is +@dfn{uninterned}), and you can't add it to any obarray. Therefore its +primary purpose is as a carrier of information. (Cons cells could +probably be used just as well.) + + You can also use @code{intern-soft} to look up a symbol but not create +a new one, and @code{unintern} to remove a symbol from an obarray. This +returns the removed symbol. (Remember: You can't put the symbol back +into any obarray.) Finally, @code{mapatoms} maps over all of the symbols +in an obarray. + +@node Symbol Values +@section Symbol Values + + The value field of a symbol normally contains a Lisp object. However, +a symbol can be @dfn{unbound}, meaning that it logically has no value. +This is internally indicated by storing a special Lisp object, called +@dfn{the unbound marker} and stored in the global variable +@code{Qunbound}. The unbound marker is of a special Lisp object type +called @dfn{symbol-value-magic}. It is impossible for the Lisp +programmer to directly create or access any object of this type. + + @strong{You must not let any ``symbol-value-magic'' object escape to +the Lisp level.} Printing any of these objects will cause the message +@samp{INTERNAL EMACS BUG} to appear as part of the print representation. +(You may see this normally when you call @code{debug_print()} from the +debugger on a Lisp object.) If you let one of these objects escape to +the Lisp level, you will violate a number of assumptions contained in +the C code and make the unbound marker not function right. + + When a symbol is created, its value field (and function field) are set +to @code{Qunbound}. The Lisp programmer can restore these conditions +later using @code{makunbound} or @code{fmakunbound}, and can query to +see whether the value of function fields are @dfn{bound} (i.e. have a +value other than @code{Qunbound}) using @code{boundp} and +@code{fboundp}. The fields are set to a normal Lisp object using +@code{set} (or @code{setq}) and @code{fset}. + + Other symbol-value-magic objects are used as special markers to +indicate variables that have non-normal properties. This includes any +variables that are tied into C variables (setting the variable magically +sets some global variable in the C code, and likewise for retrieving the +variable's value), variables that magically tie into slots in the +current buffer, variables that are buffer-local, etc. The +symbol-value-magic object is stored in the value cell in place of +a normal object, and the code to retrieve a symbol's value +(i.e. @code{symbol-value}) knows how to do special things with them. +This means that you should not just fetch the value cell directly if you +want a symbol's value. + + The exact workings of this are rather complex and involved and are +well-documented in comments in @file{buffer.c}, @file{symbols.c}, and +@file{lisp.h}. + +@node Buffers and Textual Representation, MULE Character Sets and Encodings, Symbols and Variables, Top +@chapter Buffers and Textual Representation + +@menu +* Introduction to Buffers:: A buffer holds a block of text such as a file. +* A Buffer@'s Text:: Representation of the text in a buffer. +* Buffer Lists:: Keeping track of all buffers. +* Markers and Extents:: Tagging locations within a buffer. +* Bufbytes and Emchars:: Representation of individual characters. +* The Buffer Object:: The Lisp object corresponding to a buffer. +@end menu + +@node Introduction to Buffers +@section Introduction to Buffers + + A buffer is logically just a Lisp object that holds some text. +In this, it is like a string, but a buffer is optimized for +frequent insertion and deletion, while a string is not. Furthermore: + +@enumerate +@item +Buffers are @dfn{permanent} objects, i.e. one you create them, they +remain around, and need to be explicitly deleted before they go away. +@item +Each buffer has a unique name, which is a string. Buffers are +normally referred to by name. In this respect, they are like +symbols. +@item +Buffers have a default insertion position, called @dfn{point}. +Inserting text (unless you explicitly give a position) goes at point, +and moves point forward past the text. This is what is going on when +you type text into Emacs. +@item +Buffers have lots of extra properties associated with them. +@item +Buffers can be @dfn{displayed}. What this means is that there +exist a number of @dfn{windows}, which are objects that correspond +to some visible section of your display, and each window has +an associated buffer, and the current contents of the buffer +are shown in that section of the display. The redisplay mechanism +(which takes care of doing this) knows how to look at the +text of a buffer and come up with some reasonable way of displaying +this. Many of the properties of a buffer control how the +buffer's text is displayed. +@item +One buffer is distinguished and called the @dfn{current buffer}. It is +stored in the variable @code{current_buffer}. Buffer operations operate +on this buffer by default. When you are typing text into a buffer, the +buffer you are typing into is always @code{current_buffer}. Switching +to a different window changes the current buffer. Note that Lisp code +can temporarily change the current buffer using @code{set-buffer} (often +enclosed in a @code{save-excursion} so that the former current buffer +gets restored when the code is finished). However, calling +@code{set-buffer} will NOT cause a permanent change in the current +buffer. The reason for this is that the top-level event loop sets +current buffer to the buffer of the selected window, each time it +finishes executing a user command. +@end enumerate + + Make sure you understand the distinction between @dfn{current buffer} +and @dfn{buffer of the selected window}, and the distinction between +@dfn{point} of the current buffer and @dfn{window-point} of the selected +window. (This latter distinction is explained in detail in the section +on windows.) + +@node A Buffer@'s Text +@section A Buffer's Text + + The text in a buffer consists of a sequence of zero or more +characters. A @dfn{character} is an integer that logically represents +a letter, number, space, or other unit of text. Most of the characters +that you will typically encounter belong to the ASCII set of characters, +but there are also characters for various sorts of accented letters, +special symbols, Chinese and Japanese ideograms (i.e. Kanji, Katakana, +etc.), Cyrillic and Greek letters, etc. The actual number of possible +characters is quite large. + + For now, we can view a character as some non-negative integer that +has some shape that defines how it typically appears (e.g. as an +uppercase A). (The exact way in which a character appears depends +on the font of the character.) The internal type of characters in +the C code is an Emchar; this is just an int, but using a symbolic +type makes the code clearer. + + Between every character in a buffer is a @dfn{buffer position} or +@dfn{character position}. We can speak of the character before or after +a particular buffer position, and when you insert a character at a +particular position, all characters after that position end up at new +positions. When we speak of the character @dfn{at} a position, we +really mean the character after the position. (This schizophrenia +between a buffer position being ``between'' a character and ``on'' a +character is rampant in Emacs.) + + Buffer positions are numbered starting at 1. This means that +position 1 is before the first character, and position 0 is not +valid. If there are N characters in a buffer, then buffer +position N+1 is after the last one, and position N+2 is not valid. + + The internal makeup of the Emchar integer varies depending on whether +we have compiled with MULE support. If not, the Emchar integer is an +8-bit integer with possible values from 0 - 255. 0 - 127 are the +standard ASCII characters, while 128 - 255 are the characters from the +ISO-8859-1 character set. If we have compiled with MULE support, an +Emchar is a 19-bit integer, with the various bits having meanings +according to a complex scheme that will be detailed later. The +characters numbered 0 - 255 still have the same meanings as for the +non-MULE case, though. + + Internally, the text in a buffer is represented in a fairly simple +fashion: as a contiguous array of bytes, with a @dfn{gap} of some size +in the middle. Although the gap is of some substantial size in bytes, +there is no text contained within it: From the perspective of the text +in the buffer, it does not exist. The gap logically sits at some buffer +position, between two characters (or possibly at the beginning or end of +the buffer). Insertion of text in a buffer at a particular position is +always accomplished by first moving the gap to that position +(i.e. through some block moving of text), then writing the text into the +beginning of the gap, thereby shrinking the gap. If the gap shrinks +down to nothing, a new gap is created. (What actually happens is that a +new gap is ``created'' at the end of the buffer's text, which requires +nothing more than changing a couple of indices; then the gap is +``moved'' to the position where the insertion needs to take place by +moving up in memory all the text after that position.) Similarly, +deletion occurs by moving the gap to the place where the text is to be +deleted, and then simply expanding the gap to include the deleted text. +(@dfn{Expanding} and @dfn{shrinking} the gap as just described means +just that the internal indices that keep track of where the gap is +located are changed.) + + Note that the total amount of memory allocated for a buffer text never +decreases while the buffer is live. Therefore, if you load up a +20-megabyte file and then delete all but one character, there will be a +20-megabyte gap, which won't get any smaller (except by inserting +characters back again). Once the buffer is killed, the memory allocated +for the buffer text will be freed, but it will still be sitting on the +heap, taking up virtual memory, and will not be released back to the +operating system. (However, if you have compiled XEmacs with rel-alloc, +the situation is different. In this case, the space @emph{will} be +released back to the operating system. However, this tends to effect a +noticeable speed penalty.) + + Astute readers may notice that the text in a buffer is represented as +an array of @emph{bytes}, while (at least in the MULE case) an Emchar is +a 19-bit integer, which clearly cannot fit in a byte. This means (of +course) that the text in a buffer uses a different representation from +an Emchar: specifically, the 19-bit Emchar becomes a series of one to +four bytes. The conversion between these two representations is complex +and will be described later. + + In the non-MULE case, everything is very simple: An Emchar +is an 8-bit value, which fits neatly into one byte. + + If we are given a buffer position and want to retrieve the +character at that position, we need to follow these steps: + +@enumerate +@item +Pretend there's no gap, and convert the buffer position into a @dfn{byte +index} that indexes to the appropriate byte in the buffer's stream of +textual bytes. By convention, byte indices begin at 1, just like buffer +positions. In the non-MULE case, byte indices and buffer positions are +identical, since one character equals one byte. +@item +Convert the byte index into a @dfn{memory index}, which takes the gap +into account. The memory index is a direct index into the block of +memory that stores the text of a buffer. This basically just involves +checking to see if the byte index is past the gap, and if so, adding the +size of the gap to it. By convention, memory indices begin at 1, just +like buffer positions and byte indices, and when referring to the +position that is @dfn{at} the gap, we always use the memory position at +the @emph{beginning}, not at the end, of the gap. +@item +Fetch the appropriate bytes at the determined memory position. +@item +Convert these bytes into an Emchar. +@end enumerate + + In the non-Mule case, (3) and (4) boil down to a simple one-byte +memory access. + + Note that we have defined three types of positions in a buffer: + +@enumerate +@item +@dfn{buffer positions} or @dfn{character positions}, typedef @code{Bufpos} +@item +@dfn{byte indices}, typedef @code{Bytind} +@item +@dfn{memory indices}, typedef @code{Memind} +@end enumerate + + All three typedefs are just ints, but defining them this way makes +things a lot clearer. + + Most code works with buffer positions. In particular, all Lisp code +that refers to text in a buffer uses buffer positions. Lisp code does +not know that byte indices or memory indices exist. + + Finally, we have a typedef for the bytes in a buffer. This is a +@code{Bufbyte}, which is an unsigned char. Referring to them as +Bufbytes underscores the fact that we are working with a string of bytes +in the internal Emacs buffer representation rather than in one of a +number of possible alternative representations (e.g. EUC-coded text, +etc.). + +@node Buffer Lists +@section Buffer Lists + + Recall earlier that buffers are @dfn{permanent} objects, i.e. that +they remain around until explicitly deleted. This entails that there is +a list of all the buffers in existence. This list is actually an +assoc-list (mapping from the buffer's name to the buffer) and is stored +in the global variable @code{Vbuffer_alist}. + + The order of the buffers in the list is important: the buffers are +ordered approximately from most-recently-used to least-recently-used. +Switching to a buffer using @code{switch-to-buffer}, +@code{pop-to-buffer}, etc. and switching windows using +@code{other-window}, etc. usually brings the new current buffer to the +front of the list. @code{switch-to-buffer}, @code{other-buffer}, +etc. look at the beginning of the list to find an alternative buffer to +suggest. You can also explicitly move a buffer to the end of the list +using @code{bury-buffer}. + + In addition to the global ordering in @code{Vbuffer_alist}, each frame +has its own ordering of the list. These lists always contain the same +elements as in @code{Vbuffer_alist} although possibly in a different +order. @code{buffer-list} normally returns the list for the selected +frame. This allows you to work in separate frames without things +interfering with each other. + + The standard way to look up a buffer given a name is +@code{get-buffer}, and the standard way to create a new buffer is +@code{get-buffer-create}, which looks up a buffer with a given name, +creating a new one if necessary. These operations correspond exactly +with the symbol operations @code{intern-soft} and @code{intern}, +respectively. You can also force a new buffer to be created using +@code{generate-new-buffer}, which takes a name and (if necessary) makes +a unique name from this by appending a number, and then creates the +buffer. This is basically like the symbol operation @code{gensym}. + +@node Markers and Extents +@section Markers and Extents + + Among the things associated with a buffer are things that are +logically attached to certain buffer positions. This can be used to +keep track of a buffer position when text is inserted and deleted, so +that it remains at the same spot relative to the text around it; to +assign properties to particular sections of text; etc. There are two +such objects that are useful in this regard: they are @dfn{markers} and +@dfn{extents}. + + A @dfn{marker} is simply a flag placed at a particular buffer +position, which is moved around as text is inserted and deleted. +Markers are used for all sorts of purposes, such as the @code{mark} that +is the other end of textual regions to be cut, copied, etc. + + An @dfn{extent} is similar to two markers plus some associated +properties, and is used to keep track of regions in a buffer as text is +inserted and deleted, and to add properties (e.g. fonts) to particular +regions of text. The external interface of extents is explained +elsewhere. + + The important thing here is that markers and extents simply contain +buffer positions in them as integers, and every time text is inserted or +deleted, these positions must be updated. In order to minimize the +amount of shuffling that needs to be done, the positions in markers and +extents (there's one per marker, two per extent) and stored in Meminds. +This means that they only need to be moved when the text is physically +moved in memory; since the gap structure tries to minimize this, it also +minimizes the number of marker and extent indices that need to be +adjusted. Look in @file{insdel.c} for the details of how this works. + + One other important distinction is that markers are @dfn{temporary} +while extents are @dfn{permanent}. This means that markers disappear as +soon as there are no more pointers to them, and correspondingly, there +is no way to determine what markers are in a buffer if you are just +given the buffer. Extents remain in a buffer until they are detached +(which could happen as a result of text being deleted) or the buffer is +deleted, and primitives do exist to enumerate the extents in a buffer. + +@node Bufbytes and Emchars +@section Bufbytes and Emchars + + Not yet documented. + +@node The Buffer Object +@section The Buffer Object + + Buffers contain fields not directly accessible by the Lisp programmer. +We describe them here, naming them by the names used in the C code. +Many are accessible indirectly in Lisp programs via Lisp primitives. + +@table @code +@item name +The buffer name is a string that names the buffer. It is guaranteed to +be unique. @xref{Buffer Names,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's +Manual}. + +@item save_modified +This field contains the time when the buffer was last saved, as an +integer. @xref{Buffer Modification,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's +Manual}. + +@item modtime +This field contains the modification time of the visited file. It is +set when the file is written or read. Every time the buffer is written +to the file, this field is compared to the modification time of the +file. @xref{Buffer Modification,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's +Manual}. + +@item auto_save_modified +This field contains the time when the buffer was last auto-saved. + +@item last_window_start +This field contains the @code{window-start} position in the buffer as of +the last time the buffer was displayed in a window. + +@item undo_list +This field points to the buffer's undo list. @xref{Undo,,, lispref, +XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item syntax_table_v +This field contains the syntax table for the buffer. @xref{Syntax +Tables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item downcase_table +This field contains the conversion table for converting text to lower +case. @xref{Case Tables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item upcase_table +This field contains the conversion table for converting text to upper +case. @xref{Case Tables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item case_canon_table +This field contains the conversion table for canonicalizing text for +case-folding search. @xref{Case Tables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp +Programmer's Manual}. + +@item case_eqv_table +This field contains the equivalence table for case-folding search. +@xref{Case Tables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item display_table +This field contains the buffer's display table, or @code{nil} if it +doesn't have one. @xref{Display Tables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp +Programmer's Manual}. + +@item markers +This field contains the chain of all markers that currently point into +the buffer. Deletion of text in the buffer, and motion of the buffer's +gap, must check each of these markers and perhaps update it. +@xref{Markers,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item backed_up +This field is a flag that tells whether a backup file has been made for +the visited file of this buffer. + +@item mark +This field contains the mark for the buffer. The mark is a marker, +hence it is also included on the list @code{markers}. @xref{The Mark,,, +lispref, XEmacs Lisp Programmer's Manual}. + +@item mark_active +This field is non-@code{nil} if the buffer's mark is active. + +@item local_var_alist +This field contains the association list describing the variables local +in this buffer, and their values, with the exception of local variables +that have special slots in the buffer object. (Those slots are omitted +from this table.) @xref{Buffer-Local Variables,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp +Programmer's Manual}. + +@item modeline_format +This field contains a Lisp object which controls how to display the mode +line for this buffer. @xref{Modeline Format,,, lispref, XEmacs Lisp +Programmer's Manual}. + +@item base_buffer +This field holds the buffer's base buffer (if it is an indirect buffer), +or @code{nil}. +@end table + +@node MULE Character Sets and Encodings, The Lisp Reader and Compiler, Buffers and Textual Representation, Top +@chapter MULE Character Sets and Encodings + + Recall that there are two primary ways that text is represented in +XEmacs. The @dfn{buffer} representation sees the text as a series of +bytes (Bufbytes), with a variable number of bytes used per character. +The @dfn{character} representation sees the text as a series of integers +(Emchars), one per character. The character representation is a cleaner +representation from a theoretical standpoint, and is thus used in many +cases when lots of manipulations on a string need to be done. However, +the buffer representation is the standard representation used in both +Lisp strings and buffers, and because of this, it is the ``default'' +representation that text comes in. The reason for using this +representation is that it's compact and is compatible with ASCII. + +@menu +* Character Sets:: +* Encodings:: +* Internal Mule Encodings:: +* CCL:: +@end menu + +@node Character Sets +@section Character Sets + + A character set (or @dfn{charset}) is an ordered set of characters. A +particular character in a charset is indexed using one or more +@dfn{position codes}, which are non-negative integers. The number of +position codes needed to identify a particular character in a charset is +called the @dfn{dimension} of the charset. In XEmacs/Mule, all charsets +have dimension 1 or 2, and the size of all charsets (except for a few +special cases) is either 94, 96, 94 by 94, or 96 by 96. The range of +position codes used to index characters from any of these types of +character sets is as follows: + +@example +Charset type Position code 1 Position code 2 +------------------------------------------------------------ +94 33 - 126 N/A +96 32 - 127 N/A +94x94 33 - 126 33 - 126 +96x96 32 - 127 32 - 127 +@end example + + Note that in the above cases position codes do not start at an +expected value such as 0 or 1. The reason for this will become clear +later. + + For example, Latin-1 is a 96-character charset, and JISX0208 (the +Japanese national character set) is a 94x94-character charset. + + [Note that, although the ranges above define the @emph{valid} position +codes for a charset, some of the slots in a particular charset may in +fact be empty. This is the case for JISX0208, for example, where (e.g.) +all the slots whose first position code is in the range 118 - 127 are +empty.] + + There are three charsets that do not follow the above rules. All of +them have one dimension, and have ranges of position codes as follows: + +@example +Charset name Position code 1 +------------------------------------ +ASCII 0 - 127 +Control-1 0 - 31 +Composite 0 - some large number +@end example + + (The upper bound of the position code for composite characters has not +yet been determined, but it will probably be at least 16,383). + + ASCII is the union of two subsidiary character sets: Printing-ASCII +(the printing ASCII character set, consisting of position codes 33 - +126, like for a standard 94-character charset) and Control-ASCII (the +non-printing characters that would appear in a binary file with codes 0 +- 32 and 127). + + Control-1 contains the non-printing characters that would appear in a +binary file with codes 128 - 159. + + Composite contains characters that are generated by overstriking one +or more characters from other charsets. + + Note that some characters in ASCII, and all characters in Control-1, +are @dfn{control} (non-printing) characters. These have no printed +representation but instead control some other function of the printing +(e.g. TAB or 8 moves the current character position to the next tab +stop). All other characters in all charsets are @dfn{graphic} +(printing) characters. + + When a binary file is read in, the bytes in the file are assigned to +character sets as follows: + +@example +Bytes Character set Range +-------------------------------------------------- +0 - 127 ASCII 0 - 127 +128 - 159 Control-1 0 - 31 +160 - 255 Latin-1 32 - 127 +@end example + + This is a bit ad-hoc but gets the job done. + +@node Encodings +@section Encodings + + An @dfn{encoding} is a way of numerically representing characters from +one or more character sets. If an encoding only encompasses one +character set, then the position codes for the characters in that +character set could be used directly. This is not possible, however, if +more than one character set is to be used in the encoding. + + For example, the conversion detailed above between bytes in a binary +file and characters is effectively an encoding that encompasses the +three character sets ASCII, Control-1, and Latin-1 in a stream of 8-bit +bytes. + + Thus, an encoding can be viewed as a way of encoding characters from a +specified group of character sets using a stream of bytes, each of which +contains a fixed number of bits (but not necessarily 8, as in the common +usage of ``byte''). + + Here are descriptions of a couple of common +encodings: + +@menu +* Japanese EUC (Extended Unix Code):: +* JIS7:: +@end menu + +@node Japanese EUC (Extended Unix Code) +@subsection Japanese EUC (Extended Unix Code) + + This encompasses the character sets Printing-ASCII, Japanese (aka +JISX0208), and Japanese-Kana (half-width katakana, the right half of +JISX0201). It uses 8-bit bytes. + + Note that Printing-ASCII and Japanese-Kana are 94-character charsets, +while Japanese is a 94x94-character charset. + + The encoding is as follows: + +@example +Character set Representation (PC=position-code) +------------- -------------- +Printing-ASCII PC1 +Japanese PC1 + 0x80 | PC2 + 0x80 +Japanese-Kana 0x8E | PC1 + 0x80 +@end example + + +@node JIS7 +@subsection JIS7 + + This encompasses the character sets Printing-ASCII, +Japanese-Roman (the left half of JISX0201; this character +set is very similar to Printing-ASCII and is a 94-character +charset), Japanese, and Japanese-Kana. It uses 7-bit bytes. + + Unlike Japanese EUC, this is a @dfn{modal} encoding, which +means that there are multiple states that the encoding can +be in, which affect how the bytes are to be interpreted. +Special sequences of bytes (called @dfn{escape sequences}) +are used to change states. + + The encoding is as follows: + +@example +Character set Representation (PC=position-code) +------------- -------------- +Printing-ASCII PC1 +Japanese-Roman PC1 +Japanese PC1 PC2 +Japanese-Kana PC1 + + +Escape sequence ASCII equivalent Meaning +--------------- ---------------- ------- +0x1B 0x28 0x4A ESC ( J invoke Japanese-Roman +0x1B 0x24 0x42 ESC $ B invoke Japanese +0x1B 0x28 0x49 ESC ( I invoke Japanese-Kana +0x1B 0x28 0x42 ESC ( B invoke Printing-ASCII +@end example + + Initially, Printing-ASCII is invoked. + +@node Internal Mule Encodings +@section Internal Mule Encodings + + In XEmacs/Mule, each character set is assigned a unique number, +called a @dfn{leading byte}. This is used in the encodings of a +character. Leading bytes are in the range 0x80 - 0xFF +(except for ASCII, which has a leading byte of 0), although +some leading bytes are reserved. + + Charsets whose leading byte is in the range 0x80 - 0x9F are +called @dfn{official} and are used for built-in charsets. +Other charsets are called @dfn{private} and have leading bytes +in the range 0xA0 - 0xFF; these are user-defined charsets. + + More specifically: + +@example +Character set Leading byte +------------- ------------ +ASCII 0 +Composite 0x80 +Dimension-1 Official 0x81 - 0x8D + (0x8E is free) +Control-1 0x8F +Dimension-2 Official 0x90 - 0x99 + (0x9A - 0x9D are free; + 0x9E and 0x9F are reserved) +Dimension-1 Private 0xA0 - 0xEF +Dimension-2 Private 0xF0 - 0xFF +@end example + + There are two internal encodings for characters in XEmacs/Mule. One +is called @dfn{string encoding} and is an 8-bit encoding that is used +for representing characters in a buffer or string. It uses 1 to 4 bytes +per character. The other is called @dfn{character encoding} and is a +19-bit encoding that is used for representing characters individually in +a variable. + + (In the following descriptions, we'll ignore composite +characters for the moment. We also give a general (structural) +overview first, followed later by the exact details.) + +@menu +* Internal String Encoding:: +* Internal Character Encoding:: +@end menu + +@node Internal String Encoding +@subsection Internal String Encoding + + ASCII characters are encoded using their position code directly. +Other characters are encoded using their leading byte followed +by their position code(s) with the high bit set. Characters +in private character sets have their leading byte prefixed with +a @dfn{leading byte prefix}, which is either 0x9E or 0x9F. (No +character sets are ever assigned these leading bytes.) Specifically: + +@example +Character set Encoding (PC=position-code, LB=leading-byte) +------------- -------- +ASCII PC-1 | +Control-1 LB | PC1 + 0xA0 | +Dimension-1 official LB | PC1 + 0x80 | +Dimension-1 private 0x9E | LB | PC1 + 0x80 | +Dimension-2 official LB | PC1 + 0x80 | PC2 + 0x80 | +Dimension-2 private 0x9F | LB | PC1 + 0x80 | PC2 + 0x80 +@end example + + The basic characteristic of this encoding is that the first byte +of all characters is in the range 0x00 - 0x9F, and the second and +following bytes of all characters is in the range 0xA0 - 0xFF. +This means that it is impossible to get out of sync, or more +specifically: + +@enumerate +@item +Given any byte position, the beginning of the character it is +within can be determined in constant time. +@item +Given any byte position at the beginning of a character, the +beginning of the next character can be determined in constant +time. +@item +Given any byte position at the beginning of a character, the +beginning of the previous character can be determined in constant +time. +@item +Textual searches can simply treat encoded strings as if they +were encoded in a one-byte-per-character fashion rather than +the actual multi-byte encoding. +@end enumerate + + None of the standard non-modal encodings meet all of these +conditions. For example, EUC satisfies only (2) and (3), while +Shift-JIS and Big5 (not yet described) satisfy only (2). (All +non-modal encodings must satisfy (2), in order to be unambiguous.) + +@node Internal Character Encoding +@subsection Internal Character Encoding + + One 19-bit word represents a single character. The word is +separated into three fields: + +@example +Bit number: 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 + <------------> <------------------> <------------------> +Field: 1 2 3 +@end example + + Note that fields 2 and 3 hold 7 bits each, while field 1 holds 5 bits. + +@example +Character set Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 +------------- ------- ------- ------- +ASCII 0 0 PC1 + range: (00 - 7F) +Control-1 0 1 PC1 + range: (00 - 1F) +Dimension-1 official 0 LB - 0x80 PC1 + range: (01 - 0D) (20 - 7F) +Dimension-1 private 0 LB - 0x80 PC1 + range: (20 - 6F) (20 - 7F) +Dimension-2 official LB - 0x8F PC1 PC2 + range: (01 - 0A) (20 - 7F) (20 - 7F) +Dimension-2 private LB - 0xE1 PC1 PC2 + range: (0F - 1E) (20 - 7F) (20 - 7F) +Composite 0x1F ? ? +@end example + + Note that character codes 0 - 255 are the same as the ``binary encoding'' +described above. + +@node CCL +@section CCL + +@example +CCL PROGRAM SYNTAX: + CCL_PROGRAM := (CCL_MAIN_BLOCK + [ CCL_EOF_BLOCK ]) + + CCL_MAIN_BLOCK := CCL_BLOCK + CCL_EOF_BLOCK := CCL_BLOCK + + CCL_BLOCK := STATEMENT | (STATEMENT [STATEMENT ...]) + STATEMENT := + SET | IF | BRANCH | LOOP | REPEAT | BREAK + | READ | WRITE + + SET := (REG = EXPRESSION) | (REG SELF_OP EXPRESSION) + | INT-OR-CHAR + + EXPRESSION := ARG | (EXPRESSION OP ARG) + + IF := (if EXPRESSION CCL_BLOCK CCL_BLOCK) + BRANCH := (branch EXPRESSION CCL_BLOCK [CCL_BLOCK ...]) + LOOP := (loop STATEMENT [STATEMENT ...]) + BREAK := (break) + REPEAT := (repeat) + | (write-repeat [REG | INT-OR-CHAR | string]) + | (write-read-repeat REG [INT-OR-CHAR | string | ARRAY]?) + READ := (read REG) | (read REG REG) + | (read-if REG ARITH_OP ARG CCL_BLOCK CCL_BLOCK) + | (read-branch REG CCL_BLOCK [CCL_BLOCK ...]) + WRITE := (write REG) | (write REG REG) + | (write INT-OR-CHAR) | (write STRING) | STRING + | (write REG ARRAY) + END := (end) + + REG := r0 | r1 | r2 | r3 | r4 | r5 | r6 | r7 + ARG := REG | INT-OR-CHAR + OP := + | - | * | / | % | & | '|' | ^ | << | >> | <8 | >8 | // + | < | > | == | <= | >= | != + SELF_OP := + += | -= | *= | /= | %= | &= | '|=' | ^= | <<= | >>= + ARRAY := '[' INT-OR-CHAR ... ']' + INT-OR-CHAR := INT | CHAR + +MACHINE CODE: + +The machine code consists of a vector of 32-bit words. +The first such word specifies the start of the EOF section of the code; +this is the code executed to handle any stuff that needs to be done +(e.g. designating back to ASCII and left-to-right mode) after all +other encoded/decoded data has been written out. This is not used for +charset CCL programs. + +REGISTER: 0..7 -- refered by RRR or rrr + +OPERATOR BIT FIELD (27-bit): XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX RRR TTTTT + TTTTT (5-bit): operator type + RRR (3-bit): register number + XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (15-bit): + CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC: constant or address + 000000000000rrr: register number + +AAAA: 00000 + + 00001 - + 00010 * + 00011 / + 00100 % + 00101 & + 00110 | + 00111 ~ + + 01000 << + 01001 >> + 01010 <8 + 01011 >8 + 01100 // + 01101 not used + 01110 not used + 01111 not used + + 10000 < + 10001 > + 10010 == + 10011 <= + 10100 >= + 10101 != + +OPERATORS: TTTTT RRR XX.. + +SetCS: 00000 RRR C...C RRR = C...C +SetCL: 00001 RRR ..... RRR = c...c + c.............c +SetR: 00010 RRR ..rrr RRR = rrr +SetA: 00011 RRR ..rrr RRR = array[rrr] + C.............C size of array = C...C + c.............c contents = c...c + +Jump: 00100 000 c...c jump to c...c +JumpCond: 00101 RRR c...c if (!RRR) jump to c...c +WriteJump: 00110 RRR c...c Write1 RRR, jump to c...c +WriteReadJump: 00111 RRR c...c Write1, Read1 RRR, jump to c...c +WriteCJump: 01000 000 c...c Write1 C...C, jump to c...c + C...C +WriteCReadJump: 01001 RRR c...c Write1 C...C, Read1 RRR, + C.............C and jump to c...c +WriteSJump: 01010 000 c...c WriteS, jump to c...c + C.............C + S.............S + ... +WriteSReadJump: 01011 RRR c...c WriteS, Read1 RRR, jump to c...c + C.............C + S.............S + ... +WriteAReadJump: 01100 RRR c...c WriteA, Read1 RRR, jump to c...c + C.............C size of array = C...C + c.............c contents = c...c + ... +Branch: 01101 RRR C...C if (RRR >= 0 && RRR < C..) + c.............c branch to (RRR+1)th address +Read1: 01110 RRR ... read 1-byte to RRR +Read2: 01111 RRR ..rrr read 2-byte to RRR and rrr +ReadBranch: 10000 RRR C...C Read1 and Branch + c.............c + ... +Write1: 10001 RRR ..... write 1-byte RRR +Write2: 10010 RRR ..rrr write 2-byte RRR and rrr +WriteC: 10011 000 ..... write 1-char C...CC + C.............C +WriteS: 10100 000 ..... write C..-byte of string + C.............C + S.............S + ... +WriteA: 10101 RRR ..... write array[RRR] + C.............C size of array = C...C + c.............c contents = c...c + ... +End: 10110 000 ..... terminate the execution + +SetSelfCS: 10111 RRR C...C RRR AAAAA= C...C + ..........AAAAA +SetSelfCL: 11000 RRR ..... RRR AAAAA= c...c + c.............c + ..........AAAAA +SetSelfR: 11001 RRR ..Rrr RRR AAAAA= rrr + ..........AAAAA +SetExprCL: 11010 RRR ..Rrr RRR = rrr AAAAA c...c + c.............c + ..........AAAAA +SetExprR: 11011 RRR ..rrr RRR = rrr AAAAA Rrr + ............Rrr + ..........AAAAA +JumpCondC: 11100 RRR c...c if !(RRR AAAAA C..) jump to c...c + C.............C + ..........AAAAA +JumpCondR: 11101 RRR c...c if !(RRR AAAAA rrr) jump to c...c + ............rrr + ..........AAAAA +ReadJumpCondC: 11110 RRR c...c Read1 and JumpCondC + C.............C + ..........AAAAA +ReadJumpCondR: 11111 RRR c...c Read1 and JumpCondR + ............rrr + ..........AAAAA +@end example + +@node The Lisp Reader and Compiler, Lstreams, MULE Character Sets and Encodings, Top +@chapter The Lisp Reader and Compiler + +Not yet documented. + +@node Lstreams, Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows, The Lisp Reader and Compiler, Top +@chapter Lstreams + + An @dfn{lstream} is an internal Lisp object that provides a generic +buffering stream implementation. Conceptually, you send data to the +stream or read data from the stream, not caring what's on the other end +of the stream. The other end could be another stream, a file +descriptor, a stdio stream, a fixed block of memory, a reallocating +block of memory, etc. The main purpose of the stream is to provide a +standard interface and to do buffering. Macros are defined to read or +write characters, so the calling functions do not have to worry about +blocking data together in order to achieve efficiency. + +@menu +* Creating an Lstream:: Creating an lstream object. +* Lstream Types:: Different sorts of things that are streamed. +* Lstream Functions:: Functions for working with lstreams. +* Lstream Methods:: Creating new lstream types. +@end menu + +@node Creating an Lstream +@section Creating an Lstream + +Lstreams come in different types, depending on what is being interfaced +to. Although the primitive for creating new lstreams is +@code{Lstream_new()}, generally you do not call this directly. Instead, +you call some type-specific creation function, which creates the lstream +and initializes it as appropriate for the particular type. + +All lstream creation functions take a @var{mode} argument, specifying +what mode the lstream should be opened as. This controls whether the +lstream is for input and output, and optionally whether data should be +blocked up in units of MULE characters. Note that some types of +lstreams can only be opened for input; others only for output; and +others can be opened either way. #### Richard Mlynarik thinks that +there should be a strict separation between input and output streams, +and he's probably right. + + @var{mode} is a string, one of + +@table @code +@item "r" + Open for reading. +@item "w" + Open for writing. +@item "rc" + Open for reading, but ``read'' never returns partial MULE characters. +@item "wc" + Open for writing, but never writes partial MULE characters. +@end table + +@node Lstream Types +@section Lstream Types + +@table @asis +@item stdio + +@item filedesc + +@item lisp-string + +@item fixed-buffer + +@item resizing-buffer + +@item dynarr + +@item lisp-buffer + +@item print + +@item decoding + +@item encoding +@end table + +@node Lstream Functions +@section Lstream Functions + +@deftypefun {Lstream *} Lstream_new (Lstream_implementation *@var{imp}, CONST char *@var{mode}) +Allocate and return a new Lstream. This function is not really meant to +be called directly; rather, each stream type should provide its own +stream creation function, which creates the stream and does any other +necessary creation stuff (e.g. opening a file). +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun void Lstream_set_buffering (Lstream *@var{lstr}, Lstream_buffering @var{buffering}, int @var{buffering_size}) +Change the buffering of a stream. See @file{lstream.h}. By default the +buffering is @code{STREAM_BLOCK_BUFFERED}. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun int Lstream_flush (Lstream *@var{lstr}) +Flush out any pending unwritten data in the stream. Clear any buffered +input data. Returns 0 on success, -1 on error. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefn Macro int Lstream_putc (Lstream *@var{stream}, int @var{c}) +Write out one byte to the stream. This is a macro and so it is very +efficient. The @var{c} argument is only evaluated once but the @var{stream} +argument is evaluated more than once. Returns 0 on success, -1 on +error. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn Macro int Lstream_getc (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Read one byte from the stream. This is a macro and so it is very +efficient. The @var{stream} argument is evaluated more than once. Return +value is -1 for EOF or error. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn Macro void Lstream_ungetc (Lstream *@var{stream}, int @var{c}) +Push one byte back onto the input queue. This will be the next byte +read from the stream. Any number of bytes can be pushed back and will +be read in the reverse order they were pushed back -- most recent +first. (This is necessary for consistency -- if there are a number of +bytes that have been unread and I read and unread a byte, it needs to be +the first to be read again.) This is a macro and so it is very +efficient. The @var{c} argument is only evaluated once but the @var{stream} +argument is evaluated more than once. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefun int Lstream_fputc (Lstream *@var{stream}, int @var{c}) +@deftypefunx int Lstream_fgetc (Lstream *@var{stream}) +@deftypefunx void Lstream_fungetc (Lstream *@var{stream}, int @var{c}) +Function equivalents of the above macros. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun int Lstream_read (Lstream *@var{stream}, void *@var{data}, int @var{size}) +Read @var{size} bytes of @var{data} from the stream. Return the number +of bytes read. 0 means EOF. -1 means an error occurred and no bytes +were read. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun int Lstream_write (Lstream *@var{stream}, void *@var{data}, int @var{size}) +Write @var{size} bytes of @var{data} to the stream. Return the number +of bytes written. -1 means an error occurred and no bytes were written. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun void Lstream_unread (Lstream *@var{stream}, void *@var{data}, int @var{size}) +Push back @var{size} bytes of @var{data} onto the input queue. The next +call to @code{Lstream_read()} with the same size will read the same +bytes back. Note that this will be the case even if there is other +pending unread data. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun int Lstream_close (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Close the stream. All data will be flushed out. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun void Lstream_reopen (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Reopen a closed stream. This enables I/O on it again. This is not +meant to be called except from a wrapper routine that reinitializes +variables and such -- the close routine may well have freed some +necessary storage structures, for example. +@end deftypefun + +@deftypefun void Lstream_rewind (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Rewind the stream to the beginning. +@end deftypefun + +@node Lstream Methods +@section Lstream Methods + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int reader (Lstream *@var{stream}, unsigned char *@var{data}, int @var{size}) +Read some data from the stream's end and store it into @var{data}, which +can hold @var{size} bytes. Return the number of bytes read. A return +value of 0 means no bytes can be read at this time. This may be because +of an EOF, or because there is a granularity greater than one byte that +the stream imposes on the returned data, and @var{size} is less than +this granularity. (This will happen frequently for streams that need to +return whole characters, because @code{Lstream_read()} calls the reader +function repeatedly until it has the number of bytes it wants or until 0 +is returned.) The lstream functions do not treat a 0 return as EOF or +do anything special; however, the calling function will interpret any 0 +it gets back as EOF. This will normally not happen unless the caller +calls @code{Lstream_read()} with a very small size. + +This function can be @code{NULL} if the stream is output-only. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int writer (Lstream *@var{stream}, CONST unsigned char *@var{data}, int @var{size}) +Send some data to the stream's end. Data to be sent is in @var{data} +and is @var{size} bytes. Return the number of bytes sent. This +function can send and return fewer bytes than is passed in; in that +case, the function will just be called again until there is no data left +or 0 is returned. A return value of 0 means that no more data can be +currently stored, but there is no error; the data will be squirreled +away until the writer can accept data. (This is useful, e.g., if you're +dealing with a non-blocking file descriptor and are getting +@code{EWOULDBLOCK} errors.) This function can be @code{NULL} if the +stream is input-only. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int rewinder (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Rewind the stream. If this is @code{NULL}, the stream is not seekable. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int seekable_p (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Indicate whether this stream is seekable -- i.e. it can be rewound. +This method is ignored if the stream does not have a rewind method. If +this method is not present, the result is determined by whether a rewind +method is present. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int flusher (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Perform any additional operations necessary to flush the data in this +stream. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int pseudo_closer (Lstream *@var{stream}) +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} int closer (Lstream *@var{stream}) +Perform any additional operations necessary to close this stream down. +May be @code{NULL}. This function is called when @code{Lstream_close()} +is called or when the stream is garbage-collected. When this function +is called, all pending data in the stream will already have been written +out. +@end deftypefn + +@deftypefn {Lstream Method} Lisp_Object marker (Lisp_Object @var{lstream}, void (*@var{markfun}) (Lisp_Object)) +Mark this object for garbage collection. Same semantics as a standard +@code{Lisp_Object} marker. This function can be @code{NULL}. +@end deftypefn + +@node Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows, The Redisplay Mechanism, Lstreams, Top +@chapter Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows + +@menu +* Introduction to Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows:: +* Point:: +* Window Hierarchy:: +* The Window Object:: +@end menu + +@node Introduction to Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows +@section Introduction to Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows + +A window-system window that you see on the screen is called a +@dfn{frame} in Emacs terminology. Each frame is subdivided into one or +more non-overlapping panes, called (confusingly) @dfn{windows}. Each +window displays the text of a buffer in it. (See above on Buffers.) Note +that buffers and windows are independent entities: Two or more windows +can be displaying the same buffer (potentially in different locations), +and a buffer can be displayed in no windows. + + A single display screen that contains one or more frames is called +a @dfn{display}. Under most circumstances, there is only one display. +However, more than one display can exist, for example if you have +a @dfn{multi-headed} console, i.e. one with a single keyboard but +multiple displays. (Typically in such a situation, the various +displays act like one large display, in that the mouse is only +in one of them at a time, and moving the mouse off of one moves +it into another.) In some cases, the different displays will +have different characteristics, e.g. one color and one mono. + + XEmacs can display frames on multiple displays. It can even deal +simultaneously with frames on multiple keyboards (called @dfn{consoles} in +XEmacs terminology). Here is one case where this might be useful: You +are using XEmacs on your workstation at work, and leave it running. +Then you go home and dial in on a TTY line, and you can use the +already-running XEmacs process to display another frame on your local +TTY. + + Thus, there is a hierarchy console -> display -> frame -> window. +There is a separate Lisp object type for each of these four concepts. +Furthermore, there is logically a @dfn{selected console}, +@dfn{selected display}, @dfn{selected frame}, and @dfn{selected window}. +This particular object is distinguished in various ways, such as +that it is the default object for various functions that act +on objects of that type. Note that every containing object +rememembers the ``selected'' object among the objects that it +contains: e.g. not only is there a selected window, but +every frame remembers the last window in it that was selected, +and changing the selected frame causes the remembered window +within it to become the selected window. Similar relationships +apply for consoles to devices and devices to frames. + +@node Point +@section Point + + Recall that every buffer has a current insertion position, called +@dfn{point}. Now, two or more windows may be displaying the same buffer, +and the text cursor in the two windows (i.e. @code{point}) can be in +two different places. You may ask, how can that be, since each +buffer has only one value of @code{point}? The answer is that each window +also has a value of @code{point} that is squirreled away in it. There +is only one selected window, and the value of ``point'' in that buffer +corresponds to that window. When the selected window is changed +from one window to another displaying the same buffer, the old +value of @code{point} is stored into the old window's ``point'' and the +value of @code{point} from the new window is retrieved and made the +value of @code{point} in the buffer. This means that @code{window-point} +for the selected window is potentially inaccurate, and if you +want to retrieve the correct value of @code{point} for a window, +you must special-case on the selected window and retrieve the +buffer's point instead. This is related to why @code{save-window-excursion} +does not save the selected window's value of @code{point}. + +@node Window Hierarchy +@section Window Hierarchy +@cindex window hierarchy +@cindex hierarchy of windows + + If a frame contains multiple windows (panes), they are always created +by splitting an existing window along the horizontal or vertical axis. +Terminology is a bit confusing here: to @dfn{split a window +horizontally} means to create two side-by-side windows, i.e. to make a +@emph{vertical} cut in a window. Likewise, to @dfn{split a window +vertically} means to create two windows, one above the other, by making +a @emph{horizontal} cut. + + If you split a window and then split again along the same axis, you +will end up with a number of panes all arranged along the same axis. +The precise way in which the splits were made should not be important, +and this is reflected internally. Internally, all windows are arranged +in a tree, consisting of two types of windows, @dfn{combination} windows +(which have children, and are covered completely by those children) and +@dfn{leaf} windows, which have no children and are visible. Every +combination window has two or more children, all arranged along the same +axis. There are (logically) two subtypes of windows, depending on +whether their children are horizontally or vertically arrayed. There is +always one root window, which is either a leaf window (if the frame +contains only one window) or a combination window (if the frame contains +more than one window). In the latter case, the root window will have +two or more children, either horizontally or vertically arrayed, and +each of those children will be either a leaf window or another +combination window. + + Here are some rules: + +@enumerate +@item +Horizontal combination windows can never have children that +are horizontal combination windows; same for vertical. + +@item +Only leaf windows can be split (obviously) and this splitting does one +of two things: (a) turns the leaf window into a combination window and +creates two new leaf children, or (b) turns the leaf window into one of +the two new leaves and creates the other leaf. Rule (1) dictates which +of these two outcomes happens. + +@item +Every combination window must have at least two children. + +@item +Leaf windows can never become combination windows. They can be deleted, +however. If this results in a violation of (3), the parent combination +window also gets deleted. + +@item +All functions that accept windows must be prepared to accept combination +windows, and do something sane (e.g. signal an error if so). +Combination windows @emph{do} escape to the Lisp level. + +@item +All windows have three fields governing their contents: +these are @dfn{hchild} (a list of horizontally-arrayed children), +@dfn{vchild} (a list of vertically-arrayed children), and @dfn{buffer} +(the buffer contained in a leaf window). Exactly one of +these will be non-nil. Remember that @dfn{horizontally-arrayed} +means ``side-by-side'' and @dfn{vertically-arrayed} means +@dfn{one above the other}. + +@item +Leaf windows also have markers in their @code{start} (the +first buffer position displayed in the window) and @code{pointm} +(the window's stashed value of @code{point} -- see above) fields, +while combination windows have nil in these fields. + +@item +The list of children for a window is threaded through the +@code{next} and @code{prev} fields of each child window. + +@item +@strong{Deleted windows can be undeleted}. This happens as a result of +restoring a window configuration, and is unlike frames, displays, and +consoles, which, once deleted, can never be restored. Deleting a window +does nothing except set a special @code{dead} bit to 1 and clear out the +@code{next}, @code{prev}, @code{hchild}, and @code{vchild} fields, for +GC purposes. + +@item +Most frames actually have two top-level windows -- one for the +minibuffer and one (the @dfn{root}) for everything else. The modeline +(if present) separates these two. The @code{next} field of the root +points to the minibuffer, and the @code{prev} field of the minibuffer +points to the root. The other @code{next} and @code{prev} fields are +@code{nil}, and the frame points to both of these windows. +Minibuffer-less frames have no minibuffer window, and the @code{next} +and @code{prev} of the root window are @code{nil}. Minibuffer-only +frames have no root window, and the @code{next} of the minibuffer window +is @code{nil} but the @code{prev} points to itself. (#### This is an +artifact that should be fixed.) +@end enumerate + +@node The Window Object +@section The Window Object + + Windows have the following accessible fields: + +@table @code +@item frame +The frame that this window is on. + +@item mini_p +Non-@code{nil} if this window is a minibuffer window. + +@item buffer +The buffer that the window is displaying. This may change often during +the life of the window. + +@item dedicated +Non-@code{nil} if this window is dedicated to its buffer. + +@item pointm +@cindex window point internals +This is the value of point in the current buffer when this window is +selected; when it is not selected, it retains its previous value. + +@item start +The position in the buffer that is the first character to be displayed +in the window. + +@item force_start +If this flag is non-@code{nil}, it says that the window has been +scrolled explicitly by the Lisp program. This affects what the next +redisplay does if point is off the screen: instead of scrolling the +window to show the text around point, it moves point to a location that +is on the screen. + +@item last_modified +The @code{modified} field of the window's buffer, as of the last time +a redisplay completed in this window. + +@item last_point +The buffer's value of point, as of the last time +a redisplay completed in this window. + +@item left +This is the left-hand edge of the window, measured in columns. (The +leftmost column on the screen is @w{column 0}.) + +@item top +This is the top edge of the window, measured in lines. (The top line on +the screen is @w{line 0}.) + +@item height +The height of the window, measured in lines. + +@item width +The width of the window, measured in columns. + +@item next +This is the window that is the next in the chain of siblings. It is +@code{nil} in a window that is the rightmost or bottommost of a group of +siblings. + +@item prev +This is the window that is the previous in the chain of siblings. It is +@code{nil} in a window that is the leftmost or topmost of a group of +siblings. + +@item parent +Internally, XEmacs arranges windows in a tree; each group of siblings has +a parent window whose area includes all the siblings. This field points +to a window's parent. + +Parent windows do not display buffers, and play little role in display +except to shape their child windows. Emacs Lisp programs usually have +no access to the parent windows; they operate on the windows at the +leaves of the tree, which actually display buffers. + +@item hscroll +This is the number of columns that the display in the window is scrolled +horizontally to the left. Normally, this is 0. + +@item use_time +This is the last time that the window was selected. The function +@code{get-lru-window} uses this field. + +@item display_table +The window's display table, or @code{nil} if none is specified for it. + +@item update_mode_line +Non-@code{nil} means this window's mode line needs to be updated. + +@item base_line_number +The line number of a certain position in the buffer, or @code{nil}. +This is used for displaying the line number of point in the mode line. + +@item base_line_pos +The position in the buffer for which the line number is known, or +@code{nil} meaning none is known. + +@item region_showing +If the region (or part of it) is highlighted in this window, this field +holds the mark position that made one end of that region. Otherwise, +this field is @code{nil}. +@end table + +@node The Redisplay Mechanism, Extents, Consoles; Devices; Frames; Windows, Top +@chapter The Redisplay Mechanism + + The redisplay mechanism is one of the most complicated sections of +XEmacs, especially from a conceptual standpoint. This is doubly so +because, unlike for the basic aspects of the Lisp interpreter, the +computer science theories of how to efficiently handle redisplay are not +well-developed. + + When working with the redisplay mechanism, remember the Golden Rules +of Redisplay: + +@enumerate +@item +It Is Better To Be Correct Than Fast. +@item +Thou Shalt Not Run Elisp From Within Redisplay. +@item +It Is Better To Be Fast Than Not To Be. +@end enumerate + +@menu +* Critical Redisplay Sections:: +* Line Start Cache:: +@end menu + +@node Critical Redisplay Sections +@section Critical Redisplay Sections +@cindex critical redisplay sections + +Within this section, we are defenseless and assume that the +following cannot happen: + +@enumerate +@item +garbage collection +@item +Lisp code evaluation +@item +frame size changes +@end enumerate + +We ensure (3) by calling @code{hold_frame_size_changes()}, which +will cause any pending frame size changes to get put on hold +till after the end of the critical section. (1) follows +automatically if (2) is met. #### Unfortunately, there are +some places where Lisp code can be called within this section. +We need to remove them. + +If @code{Fsignal()} is called during this critical section, we +will @code{abort()}. + +If garbage collection is called during this critical section, +we simply return. #### We should abort instead. + +#### If a frame-size change does occur we should probably +actually be preempting redisplay. + +@node Line Start Cache +@section Line Start Cache +@cindex line start cache + + The traditional scrolling code in Emacs breaks in a variable height +world. It depends on the key assumption that the number of lines that +can be displayed at any given time is fixed. This led to a complete +separation of the scrolling code from the redisplay code. In order to +fully support variable height lines, the scrolling code must actually be +tightly integrated with redisplay. Only redisplay can determine how +many lines will be displayed on a screen for any given starting point. + + What is ideally wanted is a complete list of the starting buffer +position for every possible display line of a buffer along with the +height of that display line. Maintaining such a full list would be very +expensive. We settle for having it include information for all areas +which we happen to generate anyhow (i.e. the region currently being +displayed) and for those areas we need to work with. + + In order to ensure that the cache accurately represents what redisplay +would actually show, it is necessary to invalidate it in many +situations. If the buffer changes, the starting positions may no longer +be correct. If a face or an extent has changed then the line heights +may have altered. These events happen frequently enough that the cache +can end up being constantly disabled. With this potentially constant +invalidation when is the cache ever useful? + + Even if the cache is invalidated before every single usage, it is +necessary. Scrolling often requires knowledge about display lines which +are actually above or below the visible region. The cache provides a +convenient light-weight method of storing this information for multiple +display regions. This knowledge is necessary for the scrolling code to +always obey the First Golden Rule of Redisplay. + + If the cache already contains all of the information that the scrolling +routines happen to need so that it doesn't have to go generate it, then +we are able to obey the Third Golden Rule of Redisplay. The first thing +we do to help out the cache is to always add the displayed region. This +region had to be generated anyway, so the cache ends up getting the +information basically for free. In those cases where a user is simply +scrolling around viewing a buffer there is a high probability that this +is sufficient to always provide the needed information. The second +thing we can do is be smart about invalidating the cache. + + TODO -- Be smart about invalidating the cache. Potential places: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +Insertions at end-of-line which don't cause line-wraps do not alter the +starting positions of any display lines. These types of buffer +modifications should not invalidate the cache. This is actually a large +optimization for redisplay speed as well. +@item +Buffer modifications frequently only affect the display of lines at and +below where they occur. In these situations we should only invalidate +the part of the cache starting at where the modification occurs. +@end itemize + + In case you're wondering, the Second Golden Rule of Redisplay is not +applicable. + +@node Extents, Faces and Glyphs, The Redisplay Mechanism, Top +@chapter Extents + +@menu +* Introduction to Extents:: Extents are ranges over text, with properties. +* Extent Ordering:: How extents are ordered internally. +* Format of the Extent Info:: The extent information in a buffer or string. +* Zero-Length Extents:: A weird special case. +* Mathematics of Extent Ordering:: A rigorous foundation. +* Extent Fragments:: Cached information useful for redisplay. +@end menu + +@node Introduction to Extents +@section Introduction to Extents + + Extents are regions over a buffer, with a start and an end position +denoting the region of the buffer included in the extent. In +addition, either end can be closed or open, meaning that the endpoint +is or is not logically included in the extent. Insertion of a character +at a closed endpoint causes the character to go inside the extent; +insertion at an open endpoint causes the character to go outside. + + Extent endpoints are stored using memory indices (see @file{insdel.c}), +to minimize the amount of adjusting that needs to be done when +characters are inserted or deleted. + + (Formerly, extent endpoints at the gap could be either before or +after the gap, depending on the open/closedness of the endpoint. +The intent of this was to make it so that insertions would +automatically go inside or out of extents as necessary with no +further work needing to be done. It didn't work out that way, +however, and just ended up complexifying and buggifying all the +rest of the code.) + +@node Extent Ordering +@section Extent Ordering + + Extents are compared using memory indices. There are two orderings +for extents and both orders are kept current at all times. The normal +or @dfn{display} order is as follows: + +@example +Extent A is ``less than'' extent B, that is, earlier in the display order, +if: A-start < B-start, +or if: A-start = B-start, and A-end > B-end +@end example + + So if two extents begin at the same position, the larger of them is the +earlier one in the display order (@code{EXTENT_LESS} is true). + + For the e-order, the same thing holds: + +@example +Extent A is ``less than'' extent B in e-order, that is, later in the buffer, +if: A-end < B-end, +or if: A-end = B-end, and A-start > B-start +@end example + + So if two extents end at the same position, the smaller of them is the +earlier one in the e-order (@code{EXTENT_E_LESS} is true). + + The display order and the e-order are complementary orders: any +theorem about the display order also applies to the e-order if you swap +all occurrences of ``display order'' and ``e-order'', ``less than'' and +``greater than'', and ``extent start'' and ``extent end''. + +@node Format of the Extent Info +@section Format of the Extent Info + + An extent-info structure consists of a list of the buffer or string's +extents and a @dfn{stack of extents} that lists all of the extents over +a particular position. The stack-of-extents info is used for +optimization purposes -- it basically caches some info that might +be expensive to compute. Certain otherwise hard computations are easy +given the stack of extents over a particular position, and if the +stack of extents over a nearby position is known (because it was +calculated at some prior point in time), it's easy to move the stack +of extents to the proper position. + + Given that the stack of extents is an optimization, and given that +it requires memory, a string's stack of extents is wiped out each +time a garbage collection occurs. Therefore, any time you retrieve +the stack of extents, it might not be there. If you need it to +be there, use the @code{_force} version. + + Similarly, a string may or may not have an extent_info structure. +(Generally it won't if there haven't been any extents added to the +string.) So use the @code{_force} version if you need the extent_info +structure to be there. + + A list of extents is maintained as a double gap array: one gap array +is ordered by start index (the @dfn{display order}) and the other is +ordered by end index (the @dfn{e-order}). Note that positions in an +extent list should logically be conceived of as referring @emph{to} a +particular extent (as is the norm in programs) rather than sitting +between two extents. Note also that callers of these functions should +not be aware of the fact that the extent list is implemented as an +array, except for the fact that positions are integers (this should be +generalized to handle integers and linked list equally well). + +@node Zero-Length Extents +@section Zero-Length Extents + + Extents can be zero-length, and will end up that way if their endpoints +are explicitly set that way or if their detachable property is nil +and all the text in the extent is deleted. (The exception is open-open +zero-length extents, which are barred from existing because there is +no sensible way to define their properties. Deletion of the text in +an open-open extent causes it to be converted into a closed-open +extent.) Zero-length extents are primarily used to represent +annotations, and behave as follows: + +@enumerate +@item +Insertion at the position of a zero-length extent expands the extent +if both endpoints are closed; goes after the extent if it is closed-open; +and goes before the extent if it is open-closed. + +@item +Deletion of a character on a side of a zero-length extent whose +corresponding endpoint is closed causes the extent to be detached if +it is detachable; if the extent is not detachable or the corresponding +endpoint is open, the extent remains in the buffer, moving as necessary. +@end enumerate + + Note that closed-open, non-detachable zero-length extents behave +exactly like markers and that open-closed, non-detachable zero-length +extents behave like the ``point-type'' marker in Mule. + +@node Mathematics of Extent Ordering +@section Mathematics of Extent Ordering +@cindex extent mathematics +@cindex mathematics of extents +@cindex extent ordering + +@cindex display order of extents +@cindex extents, display order + The extents in a buffer are ordered by ``display order'' because that +is that order that the redisplay mechanism needs to process them in. +The e-order is an auxiliary ordering used to facilitate operations +over extents. The operations that can be performed on the ordered +list of extents in a buffer are + +@enumerate +@item +Locate where an extent would go if inserted into the list. +@item +Insert an extent into the list. +@item +Remove an extent from the list. +@item +Map over all the extents that overlap a range. +@end enumerate + + (4) requires being able to determine the first and last extents +that overlap a range. + + NOTE: @dfn{overlap} is used as follows: + +@itemize @bullet +@item +two ranges overlap if they have at least one point in common. +Whether the endpoints are open or closed makes a difference here. +@item +a point overlaps a range if the point is contained within the +range; this is equivalent to treating a point @math{P} as the range +@math{[P, P]}. +@item +In the case of an @emph{extent} overlapping a point or range, the extent +is normally treated as having closed endpoints. This applies +consistently in the discussion of stacks of extents and such below. +Note that this definition of overlap is not necessarily consistent with +the extents that @code{map-extents} maps over, since @code{map-extents} +sometimes pays attention to whether the endpoints of an extents are open +or closed. But for our purposes, it greatly simplifies things to treat +all extents as having closed endpoints. +@end itemize + +First, define @math{>}, @math{<}, @math{<=}, etc. as applied to extents +to mean comparison according to the display order. Comparison between +an extent @math{E} and an index @math{I} means comparison between +@math{E} and the range @math{[I, I]}. + +Also define @math{e>}, @math{e<}, @math{e<=}, etc. to mean comparison +according to the e-order. + +For any range @math{R}, define @math{R(0)} to be the starting index of +the range and @math{R(1)} to be the ending index of the range. + +For any extent @math{E}, define @math{E(next)} to be the extent directly +following @math{E}, and @math{E(prev)} to be the extent directly +preceding @math{E}. Assume @math{E(next)} and @math{E(prev)} can be +determined from @math{E} in constant time. (This is because we store +the extent list as a doubly linked list.) + +Similarly, define @math{E(e-next)} and @math{E(e-prev)} to be the +extents directly following and preceding @math{E} in the e-order. + +Now: + +Let @math{R} be a range. +Let @math{F} be the first extent overlapping @math{R}. +Let @math{L} be the last extent overlapping @math{R}. + +Theorem 1: @math{R(1)} lies between @math{L} and @math{L(next)}, +i.e. @math{L <= R(1) < L(next)}. + + This follows easily from the definition of display order. The +basic reason that this theorem applies is that the display order +sorts by increasing starting index. + + Therefore, we can determine @math{L} just by looking at where we would +insert @math{R(1)} into the list, and if we know @math{F} and are moving +forward over extents, we can easily determine when we've hit @math{L} by +comparing the extent we're at to @math{R(1)}. + +@example +Theorem 2: @math{F(e-prev) e< [1, R(0)] e<= F}. +@end example + + This is the analog of Theorem 1, and applies because the e-order +sorts by increasing ending index. + + Therefore, @math{F} can be found in the same amount of time as +operation (1), i.e. the time that it takes to locate where an extent +would go if inserted into the e-order list. + + If the lists were stored as balanced binary trees, then operation (1) +would take logarithmic time, which is usually quite fast. However, +currently they're stored as simple doubly-linked lists, and instead we +do some caching to try to speed things up. + + Define a @dfn{stack of extents} (or @dfn{SOE}) as the set of extents +(ordered in the display order) that overlap an index @math{I}, together +with the SOE's @dfn{previous} extent, which is an extent that precedes +@math{I} in the e-order. (Hopefully there will not be very many extents +between @math{I} and the previous extent.) + +Now: + +Let @math{I} be an index, let @math{S} be the stack of extents on +@math{I}, let @math{F} be the first extent in @math{S}, and let @math{P} +be @math{S}'s previous extent. + +Theorem 3: The first extent in @math{S} is the first extent that overlaps +any range @math{[I, J]}. + +Proof: Any extent that overlaps @math{[I, J]} but does not include +@math{I} must have a start index @math{> I}, and thus be greater than +any extent in @math{S}. + +Therefore, finding the first extent that overlaps a range @math{R} is +the same as finding the first extent that overlaps @math{R(0)}. + +Theorem 4: Let @math{I2} be an index such that @math{I2 > I}, and let +@math{F2} be the first extent that overlaps @math{I2}. Then, either +@math{F2} is in @math{S} or @math{F2} is greater than any extent in +@math{S}. + +Proof: If @math{F2} does not include @math{I} then its start index is +greater than @math{I} and thus it is greater than any extent in +@math{S}, including @math{F}. Otherwise, @math{F2} includes @math{I} +and thus is in @math{S}, and thus @math{F2 >= F}. + +@node Extent Fragments +@section Extent Fragments +@cindex extent fragment + + Imagine that the buffer is divided up into contiguous, non-overlapping +@dfn{runs} of text such that no extent starts or ends within a run +(extents that abut the run don't count). + + An extent fragment is a structure that holds data about the run that +contains a particular buffer position (if the buffer position is at the +junction of two runs, the run after the position is used) -- the +beginning and end of the run, a list of all of the extents in that run, +the @dfn{merged face} that results from merging all of the faces +corresponding to those extents, the begin and end glyphs at the +beginning of the run, etc. This is the information that redisplay needs +in order to display this run. + + Extent fragments have to be very quick to update to a new buffer +position when moving linearly through the buffer. They rely on the +stack-of-extents code, which does the heavy-duty algorithmic work of +determining which extents overly a particular position. + +@node Faces and Glyphs, Specifiers, Extents, Top +@chapter Faces and Glyphs + +Not yet documented. + +@node Specifiers, Menus, Faces and Glyphs, Top +@chapter Specifiers + +Not yet documented. + +@node Menus, Subprocesses, Specifiers, Top +@chapter Menus + + A menu is set by setting the value of the variable +@code{current-menubar} (which may be buffer-local) and then calling +@code{set-menubar-dirty-flag} to signal a change. This will cause the +menu to be redrawn at the next redisplay. The format of the data in +@code{current-menubar} is described in @file{menubar.c}. + + Internally the data in current-menubar is parsed into a tree of +@code{widget_value's} (defined in @file{lwlib.h}); this is accomplished +by the recursive function @code{menu_item_descriptor_to_widget_value()}, +called by @code{compute_menubar_data()}. Such a tree is deallocated +using @code{free_widget_value()}. + + @code{update_screen_menubars()} is one of the external entry points. +This checks to see, for each screen, if that screen's menubar needs to +be updated. This is the case if + +@enumerate +@item +@code{set-menubar-dirty-flag} was called since the last redisplay. (This +function sets the C variable menubar_has_changed.) +@item +The buffer displayed in the screen has changed. +@item +The screen has no menubar currently displayed. +@end enumerate + + @code{set_screen_menubar()} is called for each such screen. This +function calls @code{compute_menubar_data()} to create the tree of +widget_value's, then calls @code{lw_create_widget()}, +@code{lw_modify_all_widgets()}, and/or @code{lw_destroy_all_widgets()} +to create the X-Toolkit widget associated with the menu. + + @code{update_psheets()}, the other external entry point, actually +changes the menus being displayed. It uses the widgets fixed by +@code{update_screen_menubars()} and calls various X functions to ensure +that the menus are displayed properly. + + The menubar widget is set up so that @code{pre_activate_callback()} is +called when the menu is first selected (i.e. mouse button goes down), +and @code{menubar_selection_callback()} is called when an item is +selected. @code{pre_activate_callback()} calls the function in +activate-menubar-hook, which can change the menubar (this is described +in @file{menubar.c}). If the menubar is changed, +@code{set_screen_menubars()} is called. +@code{menubar_selection_callback()} enqueues a menu event, putting in it +a function to call (either @code{eval} or @code{call-interactively}) and +its argument, which is the callback function or form given in the menu's +description. + +@node Subprocesses, Interface to X Windows, Menus, Top +@chapter Subprocesses + + The fields of a process are: + +@table @code +@item name +A string, the name of the process. + +@item command +A list containing the command arguments that were used to start this +process. + +@item filter +A function used to accept output from the process instead of a buffer, +or @code{nil}. + +@item sentinel +A function called whenever the process receives a signal, or @code{nil}. + +@item buffer +The associated buffer of the process. + +@item pid +An integer, the Unix process @sc{id}. + +@item childp +A flag, non-@code{nil} if this is really a child process. +It is @code{nil} for a network connection. + +@item mark +A marker indicating the position of the end of the last output from this +process inserted into the buffer. This is often but not always the end +of the buffer. + +@item kill_without_query +If this is non-@code{nil}, killing XEmacs while this process is still +running does not ask for confirmation about killing the process. + +@item raw_status_low +@itemx raw_status_high +These two fields record 16 bits each of the process status returned by +the @code{wait} system call. + +@item status +The process status, as @code{process-status} should return it. + +@item tick +@itemx update_tick +If these two fields are not equal, a change in the status of the process +needs to be reported, either by running the sentinel or by inserting a +message in the process buffer. + +@item pty_flag +Non-@code{nil} if communication with the subprocess uses a @sc{pty}; +@code{nil} if it uses a pipe. + +@item infd +The file descriptor for input from the process. + +@item outfd +The file descriptor for output to the process. + +@item subtty +The file descriptor for the terminal that the subprocess is using. (On +some systems, there is no need to record this, so the value is +@code{-1}.) + +@item tty_name +The name of the terminal that the subprocess is using, +or @code{nil} if it is using pipes. +@end table + +@node Interface to X Windows, Index, Subprocesses, Top +@chapter Interface to X Windows + +Not yet documented. + +@include index.texi + +@c Print the tables of contents +@summarycontents +@contents +@c That's all + +@bye +