@c -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1985--1987, 1993--1995, 1997, 1999--2025 Free Software
@c Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Programs
@chapter Editing Programs
@cindex Lisp editing
@cindex C editing
@cindex program editing

  This chapter describes Emacs features for facilitating editing
programs.  Some of the things these features can do are:

@itemize @bullet
@item
Find or move over top-level definitions (@pxref{Defuns}).
@item
Apply the usual indentation conventions of the language
(@pxref{Program Indent}).
@item
Balance parentheses (@pxref{Parentheses}).
@item
Insert, kill or align comments (@pxref{Comments}).
@item
Highlight program syntax (@pxref{Font Lock}).
@end itemize

@menu
* Program Modes::       Major modes for editing programs.
* Defuns::              Commands to operate on major top-level parts
                          of a program.
* Program Indent::      Adjusting indentation to show the nesting.
* Parentheses::         Commands that operate on parentheses.
* Comments::            Inserting, killing, and aligning comments.
* Documentation::       Getting documentation of functions you plan to call.
* Hideshow::            Displaying blocks selectively.
* Symbol Completion::   Completion on symbol names of your program or language.
* MixedCase Words::     Dealing with identifiersLikeThis.
* Semantic::            Suite of editing tools based on source code parsing.
* Misc for Programs::   Other Emacs features useful for editing programs.
* C Modes::             Special commands of C, C++, Objective-C, Java,
                          IDL, Pike and AWK modes.
* Asm Mode::            Asm mode and its special features.
@ifnottex
* Fortran::             Fortran mode and its special features.
@end ifnottex
@end menu

@node Program Modes
@section Major Modes for Programming Languages
@cindex modes for programming languages

  Emacs has specialized major modes (@pxref{Major Modes}) for many
programming languages.  A programming language mode typically
specifies the syntax of expressions, the customary rules for
indentation, how to do syntax highlighting for the language, and how
to find the beginning or end of a function definition.  It often has
features for compiling and debugging programs as well.  The major mode
for each language is named after the language; for instance, the major
mode for the C programming language is @code{c-mode}.

@cindex Perl mode
@cindex Icon mode
@cindex Makefile mode
@cindex Tcl mode
@cindex CPerl mode
@cindex DSSSL mode
@cindex Octave mode
@cindex Metafont mode
@cindex Modula2 mode
@cindex Prolog mode
@cindex Python mode
@cindex Ruby mode
@cindex Simula mode
@cindex Verilog mode
@cindex VHDL mode
@cindex M4 mode
@cindex Shell-script mode
@cindex OPascal mode
@cindex PostScript mode
@cindex Conf mode
@cindex DNS mode
@cindex Javascript mode
@cindex Awk mode
@cindex C# mode
@cindex JSON mode
@cindex SQL mode
@cindex TypeScript mode
@cindex CSS mode
@cindex Dockerfile mode
@cindex CMake mode
@cindex TOML mode
  Emacs has programming language modes for Lisp, Scheme, the
Scheme-based DSSSL expression language, Ada, ASM, AWK, C, C++, C#,
Elixir, Fortran, Icon, IDL (CORBA), HEEx, Java, Javascript,
Lua, M4, Makefiles, Metafont (@TeX{}'s companion for font creation),
Modula2, Object Pascal, Objective-C, Octave, Pascal, Perl, PHP, Pike,
PostScript, Prolog, Python, Ruby, Simula, SQL, Tcl, TypeScript, Verilog,
and VHDL@.  The recommended mode for Perl is called CPerl mode.  Modes
are also available for the scripting languages of the common GNU and
Unix shells, and MS-DOS/MS-Windows @samp{BAT} files, JSON, DNS master
files, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), Dockerfiles, CMake files, and
various sorts of configuration files.

  Ideally, Emacs should have a major mode for each programming
language that you might want to edit.  If it doesn't have a mode for
your favorite language, the mode might be implemented in a package not
distributed with Emacs (@pxref{Packages}); or you can contribute one.

@cindex tree-sitter library, supported major modes
  If Emacs has been compiled with the @samp{tree-sitter} library, it
offers several optional editing modes based on that library, which
utilize the incremental parsing capabilities provided by
@samp{tree-sitter}.  These modes have @samp{-ts-} in their names; for
example @code{c-ts-mode}, @code{python-ts-mode}, etc.

@cindex LSP
@cindex language server
@cindex Eglot
  Major modes for programming languages can use services of
@dfn{language servers} via the facilities provided by the Eglot package.
Eglot implements LSP, the @dfn{language server protocol}, which allows
Emacs to receive language-specific information and services that enrich
and extend source code editing capabilities.  @xref{Eglot Features,,,
eglot, Eglot: The Emacs LSP Client}.

@kindex DEL @r{(programming modes)}
@findex backward-delete-char-untabify
  In most programming languages, indentation should vary from line to
line to illustrate the structure of the program.  Therefore, in most
programming language modes, typing @kbd{@key{TAB}} updates the
indentation of the current line (@pxref{Program Indent}).
Furthermore, @kbd{@key{DEL}} is usually bound to
@code{backward-delete-char-untabify}, which deletes backward treating
each tab as if it were the equivalent number of spaces, so that you
can delete one column of indentation without worrying whether the
whitespace consists of spaces or tabs.

@cindex mode hook, and major modes
@vindex c-mode-hook
@vindex lisp-mode-hook
@vindex emacs-lisp-mode-hook
@vindex lisp-interaction-mode-hook
@vindex scheme-mode-hook
  Entering a programming language mode runs the custom Lisp functions
specified in the hook variable @code{prog-mode-hook}, followed by
those specified in the mode's own mode hook (@pxref{Major Modes}).
For instance, entering C mode runs the hooks @code{prog-mode-hook} and
@code{c-mode-hook}.  @xref{Hooks}, for information about hooks.

@ifnottex
  Separate manuals are available for the modes for Ada (@pxref{Top,, Ada
Mode, ada-mode, Ada Mode}), C/C++/Objective C/Java/Corba IDL/Pike/AWK
(@pxref{Top, , CC Mode, ccmode, CC Mode}), Octave, and VHDL.
@end ifnottex
@iftex
  The Emacs distribution contains Info manuals for the major modes for
Ada, C/C++/Objective C/Java/Corba IDL/Pike/AWK, Octave, VHDL, and
IDLWAVE@.  For Fortran mode, @pxref{Fortran,,, emacs-xtra, Specialized
Emacs Features}.
@end iftex

@node Defuns
@section Top-Level Definitions, or Defuns

  In Emacs, a major definition at the top level in the buffer, such as
a function, is called a @dfn{defun}.  The name comes from Lisp, but in
Emacs we use it for all languages.

@menu
* Left Margin Paren::   An open-paren or similar opening delimiter
                          starts a defun if it is at the left margin.
* Moving by Defuns::    Commands to move over or mark a major definition.
* Moving by Sentences:: Commands to move over certain code units.
* Imenu::               Making buffer indexes as menus.
* Which Function::      Which Function mode shows which function you are in.
@end menu

@node Left Margin Paren
@subsection Left Margin Convention

@cindex open-parenthesis in leftmost column
@cindex ( in leftmost column
  Many programming-language modes have traditionally assumed that any
opening parenthesis or brace found at the left margin is the start of
a top-level definition, or defun.  So, by default, commands which seek
the beginning of a defun accept such a delimiter as signifying that
position.

@vindex open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start
  If you want to override this convention, you can do so by setting
the user option @code{open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start} to
@code{nil}.  If this option is set to @code{t} (the default), commands
seeking the start of a defun will stop at opening parentheses or
braces at column zero which aren't in a comment or string.  When it is
@code{nil}, defuns are found by searching for parens or braces at the
outermost level.  Since low-level Emacs routines no longer depend on
this convention, you usually won't need to change
@code{open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start} from its default.

@node Moving by Defuns
@subsection Moving by Defuns
@cindex defuns

  These commands move point or set up the region based on top-level
major definitions, also called @dfn{defuns}.

@table @kbd
@item C-M-a
Move to beginning of current or preceding defun
(@code{beginning-of-defun}).
@item C-M-e
Move to end of current or following defun (@code{end-of-defun}).
@item C-M-h
Put region around whole current or following defun (@code{mark-defun}).
@end table

@cindex move to beginning or end of function
@cindex function, move to beginning or end
@kindex C-M-a
@kindex C-M-e
@kindex C-M-h
@findex beginning-of-defun
@findex end-of-defun
@findex mark-defun
  The commands to move to the beginning and end of the current defun
are @kbd{C-M-a} (@code{beginning-of-defun}) and @kbd{C-M-e}
(@code{end-of-defun}).  If you repeat one of these commands, or use a
positive numeric argument, each repetition moves to the next defun in
the direction of motion.

  @kbd{C-M-a} with a negative argument @minus{}@var{n} moves forward
@var{n} times to the next beginning of a defun.  This is not exactly
the same place that @kbd{C-M-e} with argument @var{n} would move to;
the end of this defun is not usually exactly the same place as the
beginning of the following defun.  (Whitespace, comments, and perhaps
declarations can separate them.)  Likewise, @kbd{C-M-e} with a
negative argument moves back to an end of a defun, which is not quite
the same as @kbd{C-M-a} with a positive argument.

@kindex C-M-h @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-mark-function
  To operate on the current defun, use @kbd{C-M-h}
(@code{mark-defun}), which sets the mark at the end of the current
defun and puts point at its beginning.  @xref{Marking Objects}.  This
is the easiest way to get ready to kill the defun in order to move it
to a different place in the file.  If the defun is directly preceded
by comments (with no intervening blank lines), they are marked, too.
If you use the command while point is between defuns, it uses the
following defun.  If you use the command while the mark is already
active, it extends the end of the region to include one more defun.
With a prefix argument, it marks that many defuns or extends the
region by the appropriate number of defuns.  With negative prefix
argument it marks defuns in the opposite direction and also changes
the direction of selecting for subsequent uses of @code{mark-defun}.

  In C mode, @kbd{C-M-h} runs the function @code{c-mark-function},
which is almost the same as @code{mark-defun}; the difference is that
it backs up over the argument declarations, function name and returned
data type so that the entire C function is inside the region.  This is
an example of how major modes adjust the standard key bindings so that
they do their standard jobs in a way better fitting a particular
language.  Other major modes may replace any or all of these key
bindings for that purpose.

@cindex nested defuns
@vindex treesit-defun-tactic
  Some programming languages supported @dfn{nested defuns}, whereby a
defun (such as a function or a method or a class) can be defined inside
(i.e., as part of the body) of another defun.  The commands described
above by default find the beginning and the end of the @emph{innermost}
defun around point.  Major modes based on the tree-sitter library
provide control of this behavior: by default, the value of
@code{treesit-defun-tactic} is set to @code{nested}; if it's set
to@code{top-level}, the defun commands will find the @emph{outermost}
defuns instead; if the value is set to @code{parent-first}, the defun
command always tries to move out of the current enclosing defun rather
than moving to the previous or next defun around point; if there's no
enclosing defun, it moves to the previous or next defun.

@node Moving by Sentences
@subsection Moving by Sentences
@cindex sentences, in programming languages

  These commands move point or set up the region based on units of
code, also called @dfn{sentences}.  Even though sentences are usually
considered when writing human languages, Emacs can use the same
commands to move over certain constructs in programming languages
(@pxref{Sentences}, @pxref{Moving by Defuns}).  In a programming
language a sentence is usually a complete language construct smaller
than defuns, but larger than sexps (@pxref{List Motion,,, elisp, The
Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).  What exactly is a sentence in this
case depends on the programming language, but usually it is a complete
statement, such as a variable definition and initialization, or a
conditional statement.  An example of a sentence in the C language
could be

@example
int x = 5;
@end example

@noindent
or in the JavaScript language it could look like

@example
@group
const thing = () => console.log("Hi");
@end group
@group
const foo = [1] == '1'
  ? "No way"
  : "...";
@end group

@end example

@table @kbd
@item M-a
Move to beginning of current or preceding sentence
(@code{backward-sentence}).
@item M-e
Move to end of current or following sentence (@code{forward-sentence}).
@end table

@cindex move to beginning or end of sentence
@cindex sentence, move to beginning or end
@kindex M-a @r{(programming modes)}
@kindex M-e @r{(programming modes)}
@findex backward-sentence @r{(programming modes)}
@findex forward-sentence @r{(programming modes)}
  The commands to move to the beginning and end of the current
sentence are @kbd{M-a} (@code{backward-sentence}) and @kbd{M-e}
(@code{forward-sentence}).  If you repeat one of these commands, or
use a positive numeric argument, each repetition moves to the next
sentence in the direction of motion.

  @kbd{M-a} with a negative argument @minus{}@var{n} moves forward
@var{n} times to the next end of a sentence.  Likewise, @kbd{M-e} with
a negative argument moves back to the start of a sentence.

@node Imenu
@subsection Imenu
@cindex index of buffer definitions
@cindex buffer definitions index

  The Imenu facility offers a way to find the major definitions in a
file by name.  It is useful both in programming-language major modes,
where the definitions are variables, functions, etc., and in text
formatter major modes, where it treats each chapter, section, etc., as a
definition.  (@xref{Xref}, for a more powerful feature that handles
multiple files together.)

@findex imenu
@vindex imenu-flatten
  If you type @kbd{M-g i} (@code{imenu}), it reads the name of a
definition using the minibuffer, then moves point to that definition.
You can use completion to specify the name; the command displays the
list of matching valid names in the completions buffer.  If the index is
hierarchical, then by default the completion candidates are also shown
hierarchically, as a nested list: first you need to choose a section,
then a subsection, etc., and finally the name of the definition.
However, if you set @code{imenu-flatten} to a non-@code{nil} value, then
instead of the nested menu you can select a completion candidate from a
flattened list of definitions.  How the sections and subsections are
shown in the flattened list of completion candidates depends on the
value of @code{imenu-flatten}, which can be one of the following:

@table @code
@vindex imenu-level-separator
@item prefix
This shows each candidate prefixed by names of its section, subsection,
subsubsection, etc., with each level separated from the next by the
string that is the value of @code{imenu-level-separator}, by default
@samp{:}.

@item annotation
This shows the section names as annotations, following each definition
name.

@item group
This shows the completion candidates grouped by their sections.
@end table

@findex imenu-add-menubar-index
  Alternatively, you can bind the command @code{imenu} to a mouse
click.  Then it displays mouse menus for you to select a definition
name.  You can also add the buffer's index to the menu bar by calling
@code{imenu-add-menubar-index}.  If you want to have this menu bar
item available for all buffers in a certain major mode, you can do
this by adding @code{imenu-add-menubar-index} to its mode hook.  But
if you have done that, you will have to wait a little while each time
you visit a file in that mode, while Emacs finds all the definitions
in that buffer.

@vindex imenu-auto-rescan
  When you change the contents of a buffer, if you add or delete
definitions, you can update the buffer's index based on the
new contents by invoking the @samp{*Rescan*} item in the menu.
Rescanning happens automatically if you set @code{imenu-auto-rescan} to
a non-@code{nil} value.  There is no need to rescan because of small
changes in the text.

@vindex imenu-auto-rescan-maxout
@vindex imenu-max-index-time
  @code{imenu-auto-rescan} will be disabled in buffers that are larger
than @code{imenu-auto-rescan-maxout} in bytes, and scanning is
stopped if it takes more than @code{imenu-max-index-time} seconds.

@vindex imenu-sort-function
  You can customize the way the menus are sorted by setting the
variable @code{imenu-sort-function}.  By default, names are ordered as
they occur in the buffer; if you want alphabetic sorting, use the
symbol @code{imenu--sort-by-name} as the value.  You can also
define your own comparison function by writing Lisp code.

  You can also customize how Imenu completions are sorted by changing
the variable @code{completion-category-overrides} and setting its
@code{display-sort-function} for the category @code{imenu}.

@cindex eglot, for producing Imenu index
  If Eglot is activated for the current buffer's project
(@pxref{Projects}) and the current buffer's major mode, Eglot provides
its own facility for producing the buffer's index based on the
analysis of the program source by the language-server which manages
the current buffer.  @xref{Eglot Features,,, eglot, Eglot: The Emacs
LSP Client}.

  Imenu provides the information to guide Which Function mode
@ifnottex
(@pxref{Which Function}).
@end ifnottex
@iftex
(see below).
@end iftex
The Speedbar can also use it (@pxref{Speedbar}).

@node Which Function
@subsection Which Function Mode
@cindex current function name in mode line

  Which Function mode is a global minor mode (@pxref{Minor Modes})
which displays the current function name in the mode line or header
line, updating it as you move around in a buffer.

@findex which-function-mode
@vindex which-func-modes
  To either enable or disable Which Function mode, use the command
@kbd{M-x which-function-mode}.  Which Function mode is a global minor
mode.  By default, it takes effect in all major modes that
know how to support it (i.e., all the major modes that support
Imenu).  You can restrict it to a specific list of major modes by
changing the value of the variable @code{which-func-modes} from
@code{t} (which means to support all available major modes) to a list
of major mode names.

@vindex which-func-display
  By default, Which Function mode displays the current function name
using the mode line.  Customize @code{which-func-display} to
@code{header}, @code{mode}, or @code{mode-and-header} to use the
header line, mode line, or both, respectively.

@node Program Indent
@section Indentation for Programs
@cindex indentation for programs

  The best way to keep a program properly indented is to use Emacs to
reindent it as you change it.  Emacs has commands to indent either a
single line, a specified number of lines, or all of the lines inside a
single parenthetical grouping.

  @xref{Indentation}, for general information about indentation.  This
section describes indentation features specific to programming
language modes.

@menu
* Basic Indent::        Indenting a single line.
* Multi-line Indent::   Commands to reindent many lines at once.
* Lisp Indent::         Specifying how each Lisp function should be indented.
* C Indent::            Extra features for indenting C and related modes.
* Custom C Indent::     Controlling indentation style for C and related modes.
@end menu

@cindex pretty-printer
  Emacs also provides a Lisp pretty-printer in the @code{pp} package,
which reformats Lisp objects with nice-looking indentation.
@xref{Output Functions, pp,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.

@node Basic Indent
@subsection Basic Program Indentation Commands

@table @kbd
@item @key{TAB}
Adjust indentation of current line (@code{indent-for-tab-command}).
@item @key{RET}
Insert a newline, then adjust indentation of following line
(@code{newline}).
@end table

@kindex TAB @r{(programming modes)}
@findex indent-line-function
  The basic indentation command is @kbd{@key{TAB}}
(@code{indent-for-tab-command}), which was documented in
@ref{Indentation}.  In programming language modes, @kbd{@key{TAB}}
indents the current line, based on the indentation and syntactic
content of the preceding lines; if the region is active,
@kbd{@key{TAB}} indents each line within the region, not just the
current line.

  The command @kbd{@key{RET}} (@code{newline}), which was documented
in @ref{Inserting Text}, does the same as @kbd{C-j} followed by
@kbd{@key{TAB}}: it inserts a new line, then adjusts the line's
indentation.

  When indenting a line that starts within a parenthetical grouping,
Emacs usually places the start of the line under the preceding line
within the group, or under the text after the parenthesis.  If you
manually give one of these lines a nonstandard indentation (e.g., for
aesthetic purposes), the lines below will follow it.

  The indentation commands for most programming language modes assume
that an open-parenthesis, open-brace or other opening delimiter at the
left margin is the start of a function.  If the code you are editing
violates this assumption---even if the delimiters occur in strings or
comments---you must set @code{open-paren-in-column-0-is-defun-start}
to @code{nil} for indentation to work properly.  @xref{Left Margin
Paren}.

@node Multi-line Indent
@subsection Indenting Several Lines

  Sometimes, you may want to reindent several lines of code at a time.
One way to do this is to use the mark; when the mark is active and the
region is non-empty, @kbd{@key{TAB}} indents every line in the region.
Alternatively, the command @kbd{C-M-\} (@code{indent-region}) indents
every line in the region, whether or not the mark is active
(@pxref{Indentation Commands}).

  In addition, Emacs provides the following commands for indenting
large chunks of code:

@table @kbd
@item C-M-q
Reindent all the lines within one parenthetical grouping.
@item M-q
Fill a single paragraph in a defun, or reindent all the lines within
that defun.
@item C-u @key{TAB}
Shift an entire parenthetical grouping rigidly sideways so that its
first line is properly indented.
@item M-x indent-code-rigidly
Shift all the lines in the region rigidly sideways, but do not alter
lines that start inside comments and strings.
@end table

@kindex C-M-q
@findex indent-pp-sexp
  To reindent the contents of a single parenthetical grouping,
position point before the beginning of the grouping and type
@kbd{C-M-q}.  This changes the relative indentation within the
grouping, without affecting its overall indentation (i.e., the
indentation of the line where the grouping starts).  The function that
@kbd{C-M-q} runs depends on the major mode; it is
@code{indent-pp-sexp} in Lisp mode, @code{c-indent-exp} in C mode,
etc.  To correct the overall indentation as well, type @kbd{@key{TAB}}
first.

@kindex M-q
@findex prog-fill-reindent-defun
@vindex beginning-of-defun-function
@vindex end-of-defun-function
@vindex fill-paragraph-function
  To reindent the entire defun around point, type @kbd{M-q}
(@code{prog-fill-reindent-defun}).  If point is in a comment or a
string, this command fills and indents the comment or string instead.
What exactly constitutes a comment, a string, or a defun depends on
the major mode: the bounds of a defun are decided by the variables
@code{beginning-of-defun-function} and @code{end-of-defun-function}
(@pxref{List Motion,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}),
and the filling mechanism is decided by @code{fill-paragraph-function}
(@pxref{Filling,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).

@kindex C-u TAB
  If you like the relative indentation within a grouping but not the
indentation of its first line, move point to that first line and type
@kbd{C-u @key{TAB}}.  In Lisp, C, and some other major modes,
@kbd{@key{TAB}} with a numeric argument reindents the current line as
usual, then reindents by the same amount all the lines in the
parenthetical grouping starting on the current line.  It is clever,
though, and does not alter lines that start inside strings.  Neither
does it alter C preprocessor lines when in C mode, but it does
reindent any continuation lines that may be attached to them.

@findex indent-code-rigidly
  The command @kbd{M-x indent-code-rigidly} rigidly shifts all the
lines in the region sideways, like @code{indent-rigidly} does
(@pxref{Indentation Commands}).  It doesn't alter the indentation of
lines that start inside a string, unless the region also starts inside
that string.  The prefix arg specifies the number of columns to
indent.

@node Lisp Indent
@subsection Customizing Lisp Indentation
@cindex customizing Lisp indentation

  The indentation pattern for a Lisp expression can depend on the function
called by the expression.  For each Lisp function, you can choose among
several predefined patterns of indentation, or define an arbitrary one with
a Lisp program.

  The standard pattern of indentation is as follows: the second line of the
expression is indented under the first argument, if that is on the same
line as the beginning of the expression; otherwise, the second line is
indented underneath the function name.  Each following line is indented
under the previous line whose nesting depth is the same.

@vindex lisp-indent-offset
  If the variable @code{lisp-indent-offset} is non-@code{nil}, it overrides
the usual indentation pattern for the second line of an expression, so that
such lines are always indented @code{lisp-indent-offset} more columns than
the containing list.

@vindex lisp-body-indent
  Certain functions override the standard pattern.  Functions whose
names start with @code{def} treat the second lines as the start of
a @dfn{body}, by indenting the second line @code{lisp-body-indent}
additional columns beyond the open-parenthesis that starts the
expression.

@cindex @code{lisp-indent-function} property
  You can override the standard pattern in various ways for individual
functions, according to the @code{lisp-indent-function} property of
the function name.  This is normally done for macro definitions, using
the @code{declare} construct.  @xref{Defining Macros,,, elisp, The
Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.

  In Emacs Lisp, lists are usually indented as if they are
function-like forms:

@lisp
(setq foo '(bar zot
                gazonk))
@end lisp

  However, if you add a space after the opening parenthesis, this tells
Emacs that it's a data list instead of a piece of code, and Emacs will
then indent it like this:

@lisp
(setq foo '( bar zot
             gazonk))
@end lisp

@node C Indent
@subsection Commands for C Indentation

  Here are special features for indentation in C mode and related modes:

@table @kbd
@item C-c C-q
@kindex C-c C-q @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-indent-defun
@findex c-ts-mode-indent-defun
Reindent the current top-level function definition or aggregate type
declaration (@code{c-indent-defun} in CC mode,
@code{c-ts-mode-indent-defun} in @code{c-ts-mode} based on tree-sitter).

@item C-M-q
@kindex C-M-q @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-indent-exp
@findex prog-indent-sexp
Reindent each line in the balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}),
also known as ``sexp'', that follows point.  In CC mode, this invokes
@code{c-indent-exp}; in tree-sitter based @code{c-ts-mode} this
invokes a more general @code{prog-indent-sexp}.  A prefix argument
inhibits warning messages about invalid syntax.

@item @key{TAB}
@findex c-indent-line-or-region
Reindent the current line, active region, or block starting on this
line (@code{c-indent-line-or-region}).  With prefix argument, rigidly
reindent the balanced expression which starts on the current line, if
the current line needs reindentation.

@vindex c-tab-always-indent
If @code{c-tab-always-indent} is @code{t}, this command always reindents
the current line and does nothing else.  This is the default.

If that variable is @code{nil}, this command reindents the current line
only if point is at the left margin or in the line's indentation;
otherwise, it inserts a tab (or the equivalent number of spaces,
if @code{indent-tabs-mode} is @code{nil}).

Any other value (not @code{nil} or @code{t}) means always reindent the
line, and also insert a tab if within a comment or a string.
@end table

  To reindent the whole current buffer, type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}.  This
first selects the whole buffer as the region, then reindents that
region.

  To reindent the current block, use @kbd{C-M-u C-M-q}.  This moves
to the front of the block and then reindents it all.

@node Custom C Indent
@subsection Customizing C Indentation
@cindex style (for indentation)

  C mode and related modes use a flexible mechanism for customizing
indentation.  C mode indents a source line in two steps: first it
classifies the line syntactically according to its contents and
context; second, it determines the indentation offset associated by
your selected @dfn{style} with the syntactic construct and adds this
onto the indentation of the @dfn{anchor statement}.

@table @kbd
@item C-c . @var{style} @key{RET}
Select a predefined style @var{style} (@code{c-set-style} in CC mode,
@code{c-ts-mode-set-style} in @code{c-ts-mode} based on tree-sitter).
@end table

  A @dfn{style} is a named collection of customizations that can be
used in C mode and the related modes.  @ref{Styles,,, ccmode, The CC
Mode Manual}, for a complete description.  Emacs comes with several
predefined styles, including @code{gnu}, @code{k&r}, @code{bsd},
@code{stroustrup}, @code{linux}, @code{python}, @code{java},
@code{whitesmith}, @code{ellemtel}, and @code{awk}.  Some of these
styles are primarily intended for one language, but any of them can be
used with any of the languages supported by these modes.  To find out
what a style looks like, select it and reindent some code, e.g., by
typing @kbd{C-M-q} at the start of a function definition.

@kindex C-c . @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-set-style
@findex c-ts-mode-set-style
  To choose a style for the current buffer, use the command @w{@kbd{C-c
.}}.  Specify a style name as an argument (case is not significant).
This command affects the current buffer only, and it affects only
future invocations of the indentation commands; it does not reindent
the code already in the buffer.  To reindent the whole buffer in the
new style, you can type @kbd{C-x h C-M-\}.

@vindex c-default-style
  When using CC mode, you can also set the variable
@code{c-default-style} to specify the default style for various major
modes.  Its value should be either the style's name (a string) or an
alist, in which each element specifies one major mode and which
indentation style to use for it.  For example,

@example
(setq c-default-style
      '((java-mode . "java")
        (awk-mode . "awk")
        (other . "gnu")))
@end example

@noindent
specifies explicit choices for Java and AWK modes, and the default
@samp{gnu} style for the other C-like modes.  (These settings are
actually the defaults.)  This variable takes effect when you select
one of the C-like major modes; thus, if you specify a new default
style for Java mode, you can make it take effect in an existing Java
mode buffer by typing @kbd{M-x java-mode} there.

@vindex c-ts-mode-indent-style
  When using the tree-sitter based @code{c-ts-mode}, you can set the
default indentation style by customizing the variable
@code{c-ts-mode-indent-style}.

  The @code{gnu} style specifies the formatting recommended by the GNU
Project for C; it is the default, so as to encourage use of our
recommended style.

  @xref{Indentation Engine Basics,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, and
@ref{Customizing Indentation,,, ccmode, the CC Mode Manual}, for more
information on customizing indentation for C and related modes,
including how to override parts of an existing style and how to define
your own styles.

@findex c-guess
@findex c-guess-install
  As an alternative to specifying a style, you can tell Emacs to guess
a style by typing @kbd{M-x c-guess} in a sample code buffer.  You can
then apply the guessed style to other buffers with @kbd{M-x
c-guess-install}.  @xref{Guessing the Style,,, ccmode, the CC Mode
Manual}, for details.

@node Parentheses
@section Commands for Editing with Parentheses

@findex check-parens
@cindex unbalanced parentheses and quotes
  This section describes the commands and features that take advantage
of the parenthesis structure in a program, or help you keep it
balanced.

  When talking about these facilities, the term ``parenthesis'' also
includes braces, brackets, or whatever delimiters are defined to match
in pairs.  The major mode controls which delimiters are significant,
through the syntax table (@pxref{Syntax Tables,, Syntax Tables, elisp,
The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).  In Lisp, only parentheses count;
in C, these commands apply to braces and brackets too.

  You can use @kbd{M-x check-parens} to find any unbalanced
parentheses and unbalanced string quotes in the buffer.

@menu
* Expressions::         Expressions with balanced parentheses.
* Moving by Parens::    Commands for moving up, down and across
                          in the structure of parentheses.
* Matching::            Insertion of a close-delimiter flashes matching open.
@end menu

@node Expressions
@subsection Expressions with Balanced Parentheses

@cindex sexp
@cindex expression
@cindex balanced expression
  Each programming language mode has its own definition of a
@dfn{balanced expression}.  Balanced expressions typically include
individual symbols, numbers, and string constants, as well as pieces
of code enclosed in a matching pair of delimiters.  The following
commands deal with balanced expressions (in Emacs, such expressions
are referred to internally as @dfn{sexps}@footnote{The word ``sexp''
is used to refer to an expression in Lisp.}).

@table @kbd
@item C-M-f
Move forward over a balanced expression (@code{forward-sexp}).
@item C-M-b
Move backward over a balanced expression (@code{backward-sexp}).
@item C-M-k
Kill balanced expression forward (@code{kill-sexp}).
@item C-M-t
Transpose expressions (@code{transpose-sexps}).
@item C-M-@@
@itemx C-M-@key{SPC}
Put mark after following expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
@end table

@kindex C-M-f
@kindex C-M-b
@findex forward-sexp
@findex backward-sexp
  To move forward over a balanced expression, use @kbd{C-M-f}
(@code{forward-sexp}).  If the first significant character after point
is an opening delimiter (e.g., @samp{(}, @samp{[} or @samp{@{} in C),
this command moves past the matching closing delimiter.  If the
character begins a symbol, string, or number, the command moves over
that.

  The command @kbd{C-M-b} (@code{backward-sexp}) moves backward over a
balanced expression---like @kbd{C-M-f}, but in the reverse direction.
If the expression is preceded by any prefix characters (single-quote,
backquote and comma, in Lisp), the command moves back over them as
well.

  @kbd{C-M-f} or @kbd{C-M-b} with an argument repeats that operation
the specified number of times; with a negative argument means to move
in the opposite direction.  In most modes, these two commands move
across comments as if they were whitespace.  Note that their keys,
@kbd{C-M-f} and @kbd{C-M-b}, are analogous to @kbd{C-f} and @kbd{C-b},
which move by characters (@pxref{Moving Point}), and @kbd{M-f} and
@kbd{M-b}, which move by words (@pxref{Words}).

@cindex killing expressions
@kindex C-M-k
@findex kill-sexp
  To kill a whole balanced expression, type @kbd{C-M-k}
(@code{kill-sexp}).  This kills the text that @kbd{C-M-f} would move
over.

@cindex transposition of expressions
@kindex C-M-t
@findex transpose-sexps
  @kbd{C-M-t} (@code{transpose-sexps}) switches the positions of the
previous balanced expression and the next one.  It is analogous to the
@kbd{C-t} command, which transposes characters (@pxref{Transpose}).
An argument to @kbd{C-M-t} serves as a repeat count, moving the
previous expression over that many following ones.  A negative
argument moves the previous balanced expression backwards across those
before it.  An argument of zero, rather than doing nothing, transposes
the balanced expressions ending at or after point and the mark.

@kindex C-M-SPC
  To operate on balanced expressions with a command which acts on the
region, type @kbd{C-M-@key{SPC}} (@code{mark-sexp}).  This sets the
mark where @kbd{C-M-f} would move to.  While the mark is active, each
successive call to this command extends the region by shifting the
mark by one expression.  Positive or negative numeric arguments move
the mark forward or backward by the specified number of expressions.
The alias @kbd{C-M-@@} is equivalent to @kbd{C-M-@key{SPC}}.
@xref{Marking Objects}, for more information about this and related
commands.

  In languages that use infix operators, such as C, it is not possible
to recognize all balanced expressions because there can be multiple
possibilities at a given position.  For example, C mode does not treat
@samp{foo + bar} as a single expression, even though it @emph{is} one
C expression; instead, it recognizes @samp{foo} as one expression and
@samp{bar} as another, with the @samp{+} as punctuation between them.
However, C mode recognizes @samp{(foo + bar)} as a single expression,
because of the parentheses.

@node Moving by Parens
@subsection Moving in the Parenthesis Structure

@cindex parenthetical groupings
@cindex parentheses, moving across
@cindex matching parenthesis and braces, moving to
@cindex braces, moving across
@cindex list commands

  The following commands move over groupings delimited by parentheses
(or whatever else serves as delimiters in the language you are working
with).  They ignore strings and comments, including any parentheses
within them, and also ignore parentheses that are quoted with an
escape character.  These commands are mainly intended for editing
programs, but can be useful for editing any text containing
parentheses.  They are referred to internally as ``list commands''
because in Lisp these groupings are lists.

  These commands assume that the starting point is not inside a string
or a comment.  If you invoke them from inside a string or comment, the
results are unreliable.

@table @kbd
@item C-M-n
Move forward over a parenthetical group (@code{forward-list}).
@item C-M-p
Move backward over a parenthetical group (@code{backward-list}).
@item C-M-u
Move up in parenthesis structure (@code{backward-up-list}).
@item C-M-d
Move down in parenthesis structure (@code{down-list}).
@end table

@kindex C-M-n
@kindex C-M-p
@findex forward-list
@findex backward-list
  The list commands @kbd{C-M-n} (@code{forward-list}) and
@kbd{C-M-p} (@code{backward-list}) move forward or backward over one
(or @var{n}) parenthetical groupings.

@kindex C-M-u
@findex backward-up-list
  @kbd{C-M-n} and @kbd{C-M-p} try to stay at the same level in the
parenthesis structure.  To move @emph{up} one (or @var{n}) levels, use
@kbd{C-M-u} (@code{backward-up-list}).  @kbd{C-M-u} moves backward up
past one unmatched opening delimiter.  A positive argument serves as a
repeat count; a negative argument reverses the direction of motion, so
that the command moves forward and up one or more levels.

@kindex C-M-d
@findex down-list
  To move @emph{down} in the parenthesis structure, use @kbd{C-M-d}
(@code{down-list}).  In Lisp mode, where @samp{(} is the only opening
delimiter, this is nearly the same as searching for a @samp{(}.  An
argument specifies the number of levels to go down.

@node Matching
@subsection Matching Parentheses
@cindex matching, parentheses and other paired delimiters
@cindex parentheses, displaying matches

  Emacs has a number of @dfn{parenthesis matching} features, which make
it easy to see how and whether parentheses (or other paired delimiters)
match up.

  Whenever you type a self-inserting character that is a closing
delimiter, Emacs briefly indicates the location of the matching
opening delimiter, provided that is on the screen.  If it is not on
the screen, Emacs displays some of the text near it in the echo area.
Either way, you can tell which grouping you are closing off.  If the
opening delimiter and closing delimiter are mismatched---such as in
@samp{[x)}---a warning message is displayed in the echo area.

@vindex blink-matching-paren
@vindex blink-matching-paren-distance
@vindex blink-matching-delay
  Three variables control the display of matching parentheses:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@code{blink-matching-paren} turns the feature on or off: @code{nil}
disables it, but the default is @code{t} to enable it.  Set it to
@code{jump} to make indication work by momentarily moving the cursor
to the matching opening delimiter.  Set it to @code{jump-offscreen} to
make the cursor jump, even if the opening delimiter is off screen.

@item
@code{blink-matching-delay} says how many seconds to keep indicating
the matching opening delimiter.  This may be an integer or
floating-point number; the default is 1.

@item
@code{blink-matching-paren-distance} specifies how many characters
back to search to find the matching opening delimiter.  If the match
is not found in that distance, Emacs stops scanning and nothing is
displayed.  The default is 102400.
@end itemize

@cindex Show Paren mode
@cindex highlighting matching parentheses
@findex show-paren-mode
@findex show-paren-local-mode
  Show Paren mode is a minor mode that provides a more powerful kind
of automatic matching.  Whenever point is before an opening delimiter
or after a closing delimiter, the delimiter, its matching delimiter,
and optionally the text between them are highlighted.  To toggle Show
Paren mode globally, type @kbd{M-x show-paren-mode}.  To toggle it
only in the current buffer, type @kbd{M-x show-paren-local-mode}.

@vindex show-paren-predicate
  By default, this mode is switched on in all buffers that are meant
for editing, but is not enabled in buffers that show data.  This is
controlled by the @code{show-paren-predicate} user option.

  To customize the mode, type @w{@kbd{M-x customize-group @key{RET}
paren-showing}}.  The customizable options which control the operation
of this mode include:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@vindex show-paren-highlight-openparen
@code{show-paren-highlight-openparen} controls whether to highlight
an open paren when point is just before it, and hence its position
is marked by the cursor anyway.  The default is non-@code{nil} (yes).

@item
@vindex show-paren-style
@code{show-paren-style} controls whether just the two parens, or also
the text between them get highlighted.  The valid options here are
@code{parenthesis} (show the matching paren), @code{expression}
(highlight the entire expression enclosed by the parens), and
@code{mixed} (highlight the matching paren if it is visible in the
window, the expression otherwise).

@item
@vindex show-paren-when-point-inside-paren
@code{show-paren-when-point-inside-paren}, when non-@code{nil}, causes
highlighting also when point is inside of the parentheses.  The
default is @code{nil}.

@item
@vindex show-paren-when-point-in-periphery
@code{show-paren-when-point-in-periphery}, when non-@code{nil}, causes
highlighting also when point is in whitespace at the beginning of a
line and there is a paren at the first or last non-whitespace position
on the line, or when point is at the end of a line and there is a
paren at the last non-whitespace position on the line.

@item
@vindex show-paren-context-when-offscreen
@code{show-paren-context-when-offscreen}, when non-@code{nil}, shows
some context in the echo area when point is in a closing delimiter and
the opening delimiter is offscreen.  The context is usually the line
that contains the opening delimiter, except if the opening delimiter
is on its own line, in which case the context includes the previous
nonblank line.

@item
@vindex show-paren-not-in-comments-or-strings
If the value of @code{show-paren-not-in-comments-or-strings} is
@code{all}, delimiters inside comments and strings will not be
highlighted.  Otherwise, if the value is set to @code{on-mismatch}, the
mismatched delimiters inside comments will not be highlighted.  The
default is @code{nil}, so delimiters inside comments and strings are
always highlighted.
@end itemize

@cindex Electric Pair mode
@cindex inserting matching parentheses
@findex electric-pair-mode
  Electric Pair mode is a minor mode that provides a way to easily
insert pairs of matching delimiters: parentheses, braces, brackets,
quotes, etc.@: (what counts as matching delimiters depends on the major
mode).  To toggle Electric Pair mode globally, type @w{@kbd{M-x
electric-pair-mode}}.  To toggle it only in the current buffer, type
@w{@kbd{M-x electric-pair-local-mode}}.

  When this mode is enabled, typing an opening delimiter inserts both
that character and, immediately following it, the matching closing
delimiter, leaving point between the two.  This makes it unnecessary to
type a matching closing delimiter in most cases.  If you type one
nonetheless, Emacs simply inserts that character, unless point is
immediately before a closing delimiter of the same type; in that case,
point moves to immediately after the closing delimiter and no additional
closing delimiter is inserted.  Thus, typing the sequence <opening
delimiter>, <matching closing delimiter> is a perhaps more convenient
alternative to the sequence <opening delimiter>, @kbd{C-f}.

  With an active region (@pxref{Mark}), Electric Pair mode operates
differently: inserting either an opening or a closing delimiter encloses
the characters in the region within the resulting pair of matching
delimiters, leaving point after the delimiter you typed (this
facilitates continuing to type either before the text following the
opening delimiter or after the closing delimiter).

  If you provide a prefix argument when inserting an opening
delimiter---and if the region is active, also when inserting a closing
delimiter---this results in the insertion of as many nested pairs of
matching delimiters as the numeric value of that prefix argument.

  There are several user options for modifying the behavior of Electric
Pair mode:

@itemize @bullet
@item
@vindex electric-pair-preserve-balance
@code{electric-pair-preserve-balance}, when non-@code{nil} (the
default), makes typing a delimiter preserve the balance between opening
and closing delimiters.  Thus, if you type an opening delimiter and
there is an unpaired matching closing delimiter later in the buffer,
then only the opening delimiter gets inserted (and not a matching
closing delimiter immediately following it); likewise, if there is an
unpaired opening delimiter, then typing a matching closing delimiter
later in the buffer inserts this character even when the following
character is another matching closing delimiter.

  When set to @code{nil}, typing an opening delimiter inserts only this
character, but only when point is either immediately before or
immediately after a matching opening delimiter, or immediately before a
letter or digit; in all other positions inserting an opening delimiter
automatically inserts a matching closing delimiter immediately following
it, even if there is an unpaired matching closing delimiter later in the
buffer.  And typing a closing delimiter immediately before another
closing delimiter of the same type does not insert that character but
moves point as described above, even when there is an unpaired matching
opening delimiter earlier in the buffer.

  If there is an active region, this variable has no effect.

@item
@vindex electric-pair-delete-adjacent-pairs
@code{electric-pair-delete-adjacent-pairs}, when non-@code{nil} (the
default), makes deleting an opening delimiter by typing the @key{DEL}
key (which is normally the @key{BACKSPACE} key; @pxref{DEL Does Not
Delete}) automatically also delete an immediately following matching
closing delimiter (but not if there are any characters---including just
whitespace---between the paired delimiters).  When set to @code{nil},
typing @key{BACKSPACE} deletes only the opening delimiter.  (Typing
@key{BACKSPACE} to delete a closing delimiter always deletes only this
character.)

@item
@vindex electric-pair-open-newline-between-pairs
When @code{electric-pair-open-newline-between-pairs} is non-@code{nil}
(the default) and point is between an opening delimiter and an
immediately following matching closing delimiter, then typing a newline
automatically inserts an extra newline after point (possibly indenting
the empty line point is on, depending on the major mode).  When set to
@code{nil}, typing a newline inserts only one newline before point, as
usual.

@item
@vindex electric-pair-skip-whitespace
When @code{electric-pair-skip-whitespace} has its default non-@code{nil}
value and point is separated from a closing delimiter only by
whitespace, then typing a closing delimiter of the same type does not
insert that character but instead moves point to immediately after the
already present closing delimiter.  You can also set this option to
additionally delete any whitespace that point moves over.  When set to
@code{nil}, typing a closing delimiter simply inserts that character
(even when this makes the following closing delimiter of the same type
unbalanced).
@end itemize

@node Comments
@section Manipulating Comments
@cindex comments

  Because comments are such an important part of programming, Emacs
provides special commands for editing and inserting comments.  It can
also do spell checking on comments with Flyspell Prog mode
(@pxref{Spelling}).

  Some major modes have special rules for indenting different kinds of
comments.  For example, in Lisp code, comments starting with two
semicolons are indented as if they were lines of code, while those
starting with three semicolons are supposed to be aligned to the left
margin and are often used for sectioning purposes.  Emacs understands
these conventions; for instance, typing @kbd{@key{TAB}} on a comment
line will indent the comment to the appropriate position.

@example
;; This function is just an example.
;;; Here either two or three semicolons are appropriate.
(defun foo (x)
;;;  And now, the first part of the function:
  ;; The following line adds one.
  (1+ x))           ; This line adds one.
@end example

@menu
* Comment Commands::    Inserting, killing, and aligning comments.
* Multi-Line Comments:: Commands for adding and editing multi-line comments.
* Options for Comments::Customizing the comment features.
@end menu

@node Comment Commands
@subsection Comment Commands
@cindex indentation for comments
@cindex alignment for comments

  The following commands operate on comments:

@table @asis
@item @kbd{M-;}
Insert or realign comment on current line; if the region is active,
comment or uncomment the region instead (@code{comment-dwim}).
@item @kbd{C-x C-;}
Comment or uncomment the current line (@code{comment-line}).  If the
region is active, comment or uncomment the lines in the region
instead.
@item @kbd{C-u M-;}
Kill comment on current line (@code{comment-kill}).
@item @kbd{C-x ;}
Set comment column (@code{comment-set-column}).
@item @kbd{C-M-j}
@itemx @kbd{M-j}
Like @kbd{@key{RET}} followed by inserting and aligning a comment
(@code{default-indent-new-line}).  @xref{Multi-Line Comments}.
@item @kbd{M-x comment-region}
@itemx @kbd{C-c C-c} (in C-like modes)
Add comment delimiters to all the lines in the region.
@end table

@kindex M-;
@findex comment-dwim
  The command to create or align a comment is @kbd{M-;}
(@code{comment-dwim}).  The word ``dwim'' is an acronym for ``Do What
I Mean''; it indicates that this command can be used for many
different jobs relating to comments, depending on the situation where
you use it.

  When a region is active (@pxref{Mark}), @kbd{M-;} either adds
comment delimiters to the region, or removes them.  If every line in
the region is already a comment, it uncomments each of those lines
by removing their comment delimiters.  Otherwise, it adds comment
delimiters to enclose the text in the region.

  If you supply a prefix argument to @kbd{M-;} when a region is
active, that specifies the number of comment delimiters to add or
delete.  A positive argument @var{n} adds @var{n} delimiters, while a
negative argument @minus{}@var{n} removes @var{n} delimiters.

  If the region is not active, and there is no existing comment on the
current line, @kbd{M-;} adds a new comment to the current line.  If
the line is blank (i.e., empty or containing only whitespace
characters), the comment is indented to the same position where
@kbd{@key{TAB}} would indent to (@pxref{Basic Indent}).  If the line
is non-blank, the comment is placed after the last non-whitespace
character on the line.  Emacs tries to fit the comment between the
columns specified by the variables @code{comment-column} and
@code{comment-fill-column} (@pxref{Options for Comments}), if
possible.  Otherwise, it will choose some other suitable position,
usually separated from the non-comment text by at least one space.  In
each case, Emacs places point after the comment's starting delimiter,
so that you can start typing the comment text right away.

  You can also use @kbd{M-;} to align an existing comment.  If a line
already contains the comment-start string, @kbd{M-;} realigns it to
the conventional alignment and moves point after the comment's
starting delimiter.  As an exception, comments starting in column 0
are not moved.  Even when an existing comment is properly aligned,
@kbd{M-;} is still useful for moving directly to the start of the
comment text.

@findex comment-line
@kindex C-x C-;
  @kbd{C-x C-;} (@code{comment-line}) comments or uncomments complete
lines.  When a region is active (@pxref{Mark}), @kbd{C-x C-;} either
comments or uncomments the lines in the region.  If the region is not
active, this command comments or uncomments the line point is on.
With a positive prefix argument @var{n}, it operates on @var{n} lines
starting with the current one; with a negative argument
@minus{}@var{n}, it affects @var{n} preceding lines.  After invoking
this command with a negative argument, successive invocations with a
positive argument will operate on preceding lines as if the argument
were negated.

@findex comment-kill
@kindex C-u M-;
  @kbd{C-u M-;} (@code{comment-dwim} with a prefix argument) when the
region is not active kills any comment on the current line, along with
the whitespace before it.  Since the comment is saved to the kill
ring, you can reinsert it on another line by moving to the end of that
line, doing @kbd{C-y}, and then @kbd{M-;} to realign the comment.  You
can achieve the same effect as @kbd{C-u M-;} by typing @kbd{M-x
comment-kill} (@code{comment-dwim} actually calls @code{comment-kill}
as a subroutine when it is given a prefix argument).  Invoking
@code{comment-dwim} with a prefix numeric argument, as in @w{@kbd{C-u
@var{n} M-;}}, when there's no active region, tells
@code{comment-kill} to kill comments on @var{n} lines.

@kindex C-c C-c @r{(C mode)}
@findex comment-region
@findex uncomment-region
  The command @kbd{M-x comment-region} is equivalent to calling
@kbd{M-;} on an active region, except that it always acts on the
region, even if the mark is inactive.  In C mode and related modes,
this command is bound to @kbd{C-c C-c}.  The command @kbd{M-x
uncomment-region} uncomments each line in the region; a numeric prefix
argument specifies the number of comment delimiters to remove
(negative arguments specify the number of comment delimiters to add).

  For C-like modes, you can configure the exact effect of @kbd{M-;} by
setting the variables @code{c-indent-comment-alist} and
@code{c-indent-comments-syntactically-p}.  For example, on a line
ending in a closing brace, @kbd{M-;} puts the comment one space after
the brace rather than at @code{comment-column}.  For full details see
@ref{Comment Commands,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}.

@node Multi-Line Comments
@subsection Multiple Lines of Comments

@kindex C-M-j
@kindex M-j
@cindex blank lines in programs
@findex default-indent-new-line
@vindex comment-multi-line
  If you are typing a comment and wish to continue it to another line,
type @kbd{M-j} or @kbd{C-M-j} (@code{default-indent-new-line}).  This
breaks the current line, and inserts the necessary comment delimiters
and indentation to continue the comment.

  For languages with closing comment delimiters (e.g., @samp{*/} in
C), the exact behavior of @kbd{M-j} depends on the value of the
variable @code{comment-multi-line}.  If the value is @code{nil}, the
command closes the comment on the old line and starts a new comment on
the new line.  Otherwise, it opens a new line within the current
comment delimiters.

  When Auto Fill mode is on, going past the fill column while typing a
comment also continues the comment, in the same way as an explicit
invocation of @kbd{M-j}.

  To turn existing lines into comment lines, use @kbd{M-;} with the
region active, or use @kbd{M-x comment-region}
@ifinfo
(@pxref{Comment Commands}).
@end ifinfo
@ifnotinfo
as described in the preceding section.
@end ifnotinfo

  You can configure C Mode such that when you type a @samp{/} at the
start of a line in a multi-line block comment, this closes the
comment.  Enable the @code{comment-close-slash} clean-up for this.
@xref{Clean-ups,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}.

@node Options for Comments
@subsection Options Controlling Comments

@vindex comment-column
@vindex comment-fill-column
@kindex C-x ;
@findex comment-set-column
  As mentioned in @ref{Comment Commands}, when the @kbd{M-j} command
adds a comment to a line, it tries to place the comment between the
columns specified by the buffer-local variables @code{comment-column}
and @code{comment-fill-column} (or if that is @code{nil}, then the
value of @code{fill-column}, @pxref{Fill Commands}).  You can set
either the local value or the default value of these buffer-local
variables in the usual way (@pxref{Locals}).  Alternatively, you can
type @kbd{C-x ;} (@code{comment-set-column}) to set the value of
@code{comment-column} in the current buffer to the column where point
is currently located.  @kbd{C-u C-x ;} sets the comment column to
match the last comment before point in the buffer, and then does a
@kbd{M-;} to align the current line's comment under the previous one.

@vindex comment-start-skip
  The comment commands recognize comments based on the regular
expression that is the value of the variable @code{comment-start-skip}.
Make sure this regexp does not match the null string.  It may match more
than the comment starting delimiter in the strictest sense of the word;
for example, in C mode the value of the variable could be
@c This stops M-q from breaking the line inside that @code.
@code{@w{"/\\*+[ \t]*\\|//+[ \t]*"}}, which matches extra stars and
spaces after the @samp{/*} itself, and accepts C++ style (@samp{//})
comments also.  (Note that @samp{\\} is needed in Lisp syntax to
include a @samp{\} in the string, which is needed to deny the first
star its special meaning in regexp syntax.  @xref{Regexp Backslash}.)

@vindex comment-start
@vindex comment-end
  When a comment command makes a new comment, it inserts the value of
@code{comment-start} as an opening comment delimiter.  It also inserts
the value of @code{comment-end} after point, as a closing comment
delimiter.  For example, in Lisp mode, @code{comment-start} is
@samp{";"} and @code{comment-end} is @code{""} (the empty string).  In
C mode, @code{comment-start} is @code{"/* "} and @code{comment-end} is
@code{" */"}.

@vindex comment-padding
  The variable @code{comment-padding} specifies a string that the
commenting commands should insert between the comment delimiter(s) and
the comment text.  The default, @samp{" "}, specifies a single space.
Alternatively, the value can be a number, which specifies that number
of spaces, or @code{nil}, which means no spaces at all.

  The variable @code{comment-multi-line} controls how @kbd{M-j} and
Auto Fill mode continue comments over multiple lines.
@xref{Multi-Line Comments}.

@vindex comment-indent-function
  The variable @code{comment-indent-function} should contain a function
that will be called to compute the alignment for a newly inserted
comment or for aligning an existing comment.  It is set differently by
various major modes.  The function is called with no arguments, but with
point at the beginning of the comment, or at the end of a line if a new
comment is to be inserted.  It should return the column in which the
comment ought to start.  For example, the default function bases its
decision on how many comment characters begin an existing comment.

Emacs also tries to align comments on adjacent lines.  To override
this, the function may return a cons of two (possibly equal) integers
to indicate an acceptable range of indentation.

@node Documentation
@section Documentation Lookup

  Emacs provides several features you can use to look up the
documentation of functions, variables and commands that you plan to
use in your program.

@menu
* Info Lookup::         Looking up library functions and commands in Info files.
* Man Page::            Looking up man pages of library functions and commands.
* Programming Language Doc:: Looking up program functions, variables, etc.
@end menu

@node Info Lookup
@subsection Info Documentation Lookup

@findex info-lookup-file
  For major modes that apply to languages which have documentation in
Info, you can use @kbd{C-h S} (@code{info-lookup-symbol}) to view the
Info documentation for a symbol used in the program.  You specify the
symbol with the minibuffer; the default is the symbol appearing in the
buffer at point.  For example, in C mode this looks for the symbol in
the C Library Manual.  The command only works if the appropriate
manual's Info files are installed.

  Emacs determines where to look for documentation for the
symbol---which Info files to look in, and which indices to
search---based on the major mode.  You can also use @kbd{M-x
info-lookup-file} to look for documentation for a file name.

  If you use @kbd{C-h S} in a major mode that does not support it,
it asks you to specify the symbol help mode.  You should enter
a command such as @code{c-mode} that would select a major
mode which @kbd{C-h S} does support.

@node Man Page
@subsection Man Page Lookup

@cindex man page
  On Unix, the main form of on-line documentation was the @dfn{manual
page} or @dfn{man page}.  In the GNU operating system, we aim to
replace man pages with better-organized manuals that you can browse
with Info (@pxref{Misc Help}).  This process is not finished, so it is
still useful to read manual pages.

@findex man
  You can read the man page for an operating system command, library
function, or system call, with the @kbd{M-x man} command.  This
prompts for a topic, with completion (@pxref{Completion}), and runs
the @command{man} program to format the corresponding man page.  If
the system permits, it runs @command{man} asynchronously, so that you
can keep on editing while the page is being formatted.  The result
goes in a buffer named @file{*Man @var{topic}*}.  These buffers use a
special major mode, Man mode, that facilitates scrolling and jumping
to other manual pages.  For details, type @kbd{C-h m} while in a Man
mode buffer.

@cindex sections of manual pages
  Each man page belongs to one of ten or more @dfn{sections}, each
named by a digit or by a digit and a letter.  Sometimes there are man
pages with the same name in different sections.  To read a man page
from a specific section, type @samp{@var{topic}(@var{section})} or
@samp{@var{section} @var{topic}} when @kbd{M-x man} prompts for the
topic.  For example, the man page for the C library function
@code{chmod} is in section 2, but there is a shell command of the same
name, whose man page is in section 1; to view the former, type
@w{@kbd{M-x man @key{RET} chmod(2) @key{RET}}}.

@vindex Man-switches
@kindex M-n @r{(Man mode)}
@kindex M-p @r{(Man mode)}
  If you do not specify a section, @kbd{M-x man} normally displays
only the first man page found.  On some systems, the @code{man}
program accepts a @samp{-a} command-line option, which tells it to
display all the man pages for the specified topic.  To make use of
this, change the value of the variable @code{Man-switches} to
@samp{"-a"}.  Then, in the Man mode buffer, you can type @kbd{M-n} and
@kbd{M-p} to switch between man pages in different sections.  The mode
line shows how many manual pages are available.

@vindex Man-prefer-synchronous-call
  By default, @kbd{M-x man} calls the @code{man} program
asynchronously.  You can force the invocation to be synchronous by
customizing @code{Man-prefer-synchronous-call} to a non-@code{nil}
value.

@vindex Man-support-remote-systems
  If the user option @code{Man-support-remote-systems} is
non-@code{nil}, and @code{default-directory} indicates a remote system
(@pxref{Remote Files}), the man page is taken from the remote system.
Calling the @code{man} command with a prefix like @kbd{C-u M-x man}
reverts the value of @code{Man-support-remote-systems} for that call.

@findex woman
@cindex manual pages, on MS-DOS/MS-Windows
  An alternative way of reading manual pages is the @kbd{M-x woman}
command.  Unlike @kbd{M-x man}, it does not run any external programs
to format and display the man pages; the formatting is done by Emacs,
so it works on systems such as MS-Windows where the @command{man}
program may be unavailable.  It prompts for a man page, and displays
it in a buffer named @file{*WoMan @var{section} @var{topic}}.

  @kbd{M-x woman} computes the completion list for manpages the first
time you invoke the command.  With a numeric argument, it recomputes
this list; this is useful if you add or delete manual pages.

  If you type a name of a manual page and @kbd{M-x woman} finds that
several manual pages by the same name exist in different sections, it
pops up a window with possible candidates asking you to choose one of
them.

  Note that @kbd{M-x woman} doesn't yet support the latest features of
modern man pages, so we recommend using @kbd{M-x man} if that is
available on your system.

  For more information about setting up and using @kbd{M-x woman}, see
@ifinfo
@ref{Top, WoMan, Browse UN*X Manual Pages WithOut Man, woman, The
WoMan Manual}.
@end ifinfo
@ifnotinfo
the WoMan Info manual, which is distributed with Emacs.
@end ifnotinfo

@node Programming Language Doc
@subsection Programming Language Documentation Lookup
@cindex documentation for program symbols
@cindex program functions and variables, documentation lookup

  When editing Emacs Lisp code, you can use the commands @kbd{C-h f}
(@code{describe-function}) and @kbd{C-h v} (@code{describe-variable})
to view the built-in documentation for the Lisp functions and
variables that you want to use.  @xref{Name Help}.

@cindex ElDoc mode
@cindex at-point documentation for program symbols
@findex eldoc-mode
@findex global-eldoc-mode
  ElDoc@footnote{
The name ``ElDoc'' is a historical accident: this mode started by
supporting Emacs Lisp buffers.
} is a buffer-local minor mode that helps with looking up
documentation of symbols (functions, methods, classes, variables,
etc.) in your program.  When this mode is enabled, the echo area
displays useful information whenever there is a documented symbol at
point.  For example, in buffers under the Emacs Lisp mode, it shows
the argument list of a function at point, and for a Lisp variable it
shows the first line of the variable's documentation string.

To toggle ElDoc mode, type @kbd{M-x eldoc-mode}.  There's also a
Global ElDoc mode, which is turned on by default, and turns on the
ElDoc mode in buffers whose major mode sets the variables described
below.  Use @w{@kbd{M-x global-eldoc-mode}} to turn it off globally.

@cindex eglot, using with ElDoc
Various major modes configure the Global ElDoc mode to use their
documentation functions.  Examples include Emacs Lisp mode, Python
mode, and Cfengine mode.  In addition, Emacs features that provide
support for several major modes configure ElDoc to use their
facilities for retrieving the documentation.  Examples include Eglot
(@pxref{Eglot Features,,, eglot, Eglot: The Emacs LSP Client}), which
provides documentation based on information from language servers;
Semantic's Idle Summary mode (@pxref{Idle Summary Mode,,, semantic,
Semantic Manual}); and Flymake, which uses ElDoc to show diagnostics
at point (@pxref{Finding diagnostics,,, flymake, GNU Flymake manual}).

The ElDoc mode works by scheduling the display of the available
documentation for the symbol at point after Emacs has been idle for
some short time.  This avoids annoying flickering of documentation
messages in the echo area or the mode line when you type quickly and
without delay.

@findex eldoc-print-current-symbol-info
You can also trigger the display of documentation for a symbol at
point by using the command @kbd{M-x eldoc-print-current-symbol-info}.

  The following variables can be used to configure ElDoc mode:

@vtable @code
@item eldoc-idle-delay
The value of this user option controls the amount of idle time before
the at-point documentation is displayed.  It should be set to the
number of seconds to wait; the value of zero means to display without
any delay.  The default is 0.5 sec.

@item eldoc-print-after-edit
If this user option is non-@code{nil}, ElDoc will show documentation
only after some editing command, like inserting or deleting some
text.  This comes in handy if you want Emacs to display documentation
only about symbols that you type, but not about symbols that are
already in the buffer (so just reading the source code will not show
documentation).  The default value is @code{nil}.  If you change the
value, you need to toggle @code{eldoc-mode} off and on again.

@item eldoc-echo-area-use-multiline-p
This user option controls whether and how to truncate documentation
text if it is longer than the echo-area can display as a single screen
line.  If the value is a positive number, it specifies the number of
screen lines that ElDoc is allowed to display in the echo area without
truncating the documentation.  A positive integer specifies the
absolute maximum number of screen lines to use; a floating-point
number specifies the number of screen lines as a fraction of the
frame's height.  The value of @code{t} means never truncate the
documentation (the echo-area will be resized up to the height allowed
by @code{max-mini-window-height}, @pxref{Minibuffer Edit}), whereas
the value of @code{nil} means truncate if the documentation is longer
than a single screen line.  Finally, the special value
@code{truncate-sym-name-if-fit} (the default) means to truncate the
part of the documentation that represents a symbol's name if doing
that will allow the documentation to fit on a single screen line.

@item eldoc-echo-area-display-truncation-message
If non-@code{nil} (the default), and documentation shown in the echo
area is truncated because it's too long, follow the documentation by
instructions about how to view the complete documentation text.  If
@code{nil}, just indicate with @samp{@dots{}} that the documentation
was truncated.

@findex eldoc-doc-buffer
@item eldoc-echo-area-prefer-doc-buffer
If the value of this user option is @code{t}, ElDoc will not show the
documentation in the echo area if the ElDoc buffer with the
documentation is already displayed in some window.  (You can use the
command @kbd{M-x eldoc-doc-buffer} any time to show the ElDoc buffer.)
If the value of this option is the symbol @code{maybe}, the
documentation will not be displayed in the echo area if the ElDoc
buffer is shown in some window, and the documentation text has to be
truncated if displayed in the echo area.  Finally, the value of
@code{nil} (the default) means always show the documentation in the
echo area.

@item eldoc-documentation-strategy
This customizable variable's value is the function which is used to
retrieve and display documentation for the symbol at point.  The
documentation is produced by the functions in the hook
@code{eldoc-documentation-functions}.  The default value of
@code{eldoc-documentation-strategy} specifies that ElDoc should
display the first documentation text produced by functions in the
@code{eldoc-documentation-functions} hook, but you can customize
@code{eldoc-documentation-strategy} to work in other ways, such as
displaying all of the documentation texts concatenated together.

@item eldoc-documentation-functions
This abnormal hook's value is a list of functions that can produce
documentation for the symbol at point as appropriate for the current
buffer's major-mode.  These functions act as a collection of backends
for ElDoc.  Major modes register their documentation lookup functions
with ElDoc by adding their functions to the buffer-local value of this
variable.
@end vtable

@node Hideshow
@section Hideshow minor mode
@cindex Hideshow mode
@cindex mode, Hideshow

@findex hs-minor-mode
  Hideshow mode is a buffer-local minor mode that allows you to
selectively display portions of a program, which are referred to as
@dfn{blocks}.  Type @kbd{M-x hs-minor-mode} to toggle this minor mode
(@pxref{Minor Modes}).

  When you use Hideshow mode to hide a block, the block disappears
from the screen, to be replaced by an ellipsis (three periods in a
row).  Just what constitutes a block depends on the major mode.  In C
mode and related modes, blocks are delimited by braces, while in Lisp
mode they are delimited by parentheses.  Multi-line comments also
count as blocks.
@vindex hs-prefix-map

  Hideshow mode provides the following commands (defined in @code{hs-prefix-map}):

@findex hs-hide-all
@findex hs-hide-block
@findex hs-show-all
@findex hs-show-block
@findex hs-show-region
@findex hs-hide-level
@findex hs-toggle-hiding
@kindex C-c @@ C-h
@kindex C-c @@ C-s
@kindex C-c @@ C-c
@kindex C-c @@ C-M-h
@kindex C-c @@ C-M-s
@kindex C-c @@ C-r
@kindex C-c @@ C-l
@kindex S-mouse-2
@table @kbd
@item C-c @@ C-h
@itemx C-c @@ C-d
Hide the current block (@code{hs-hide-block}).
@item C-c @@ C-s
Show the current block (@code{hs-show-block}).
@item C-c @@ C-c
@itemx C-c @@ C-e
@itemx S-mouse-2
Either hide or show the current block (@code{hs-toggle-hiding}).
@item C-c @@ C-M-h
@itemx C-c @@ C-t
Hide all top-level blocks (@code{hs-hide-all}).
@item C-c @@ C-M-s
@itemx C-c @@ C-a
Show all blocks in the buffer (@code{hs-show-all}).
@item C-u @var{n} C-c @@ C-l
Hide all blocks @var{n} levels below this block
(@code{hs-hide-level}).
@end table

@vindex hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
@vindex hs-display-lines-hidden
@vindex hs-show-indicators
@vindex hs-indicator-type
@vindex hs-indicator-maximum-buffer-size
@vindex hs-isearch-open
@vindex hs-hide-block-behavior
@vindex hs-cycle-filter
  These variables can be used to customize Hideshow mode:

@table @code
@item hs-hide-comments-when-hiding-all
If non-@code{nil}, @kbd{C-c @@ C-M-h} (@code{hs-hide-all}) hides
comments too.

@item hs-hide-block-behavior
This variable controls how @code{hs-hide-block} and
@code{hs-toggle-hiding} should hide a block.  The possible values can be
'after-bol', hide the innermost block to which the current line belongs;
or 'after-cursor', hide the block after cursor position.

@item hs-display-lines-hidden
If non-@code{nil}, display the number of hidden lines next to the
ellipsis.

@item hs-show-indicators
This variable controls whether Hideshow mode should display indicators
of hidden and shown blocks.  The indicators also allow toggling the
hide/show state of each block.  If the value is non-@code{nil}, it enables
the indicators.  The default is @code{nil}, which disables
the indicators.

@item hs-indicator-type
This variable controls where to show the indicators, if they are
enabled.  You can show them on the fringe (@pxref{Fringes}) or
in the window's margin.  The default is to use the fringe if it's
available, otherwise to use the margin.

@item hs-indicator-maximum-buffer-size
This variable limits the display of hideshow indicators to buffers that
are not too large.  (Larger buffers might adversely affect redisplay
performance.)  By default, buffers larger than 2MB have the indicators
disabled; the value of @code{nil} will activate the indicators
regardless of the buffer size.

@item hs-cycle-filter
This variable controls where on the line with hideable blocks typing the
@kbd{@key{TAB}} key will cycle the visibility of the blocks.  Depending
on its non-@code{nil} value, @key{TAB} can be active on different parts
of such lines.  Anywhere else on the line @key{TAB} has its default key
binding.  The value @code{nil} means @key{TAB} cannot cycle the
visibility of the blocks anywhere on the heading line.

@item hs-isearch-open
This variable specifies the conditions under which incremental search
should unhide a hidden block when matching text occurs within the
block.  Its value should be either @code{code} (unhide only code
blocks), @code{comment} (unhide only comments), @code{t} (unhide both
code blocks and comments), or @code{nil} (unhide neither code blocks
nor comments).  The default value is @code{code}.
@end table

@node Symbol Completion
@section Completion for Symbol Names
@cindex completion (symbol names)

  Completion is normally done in the minibuffer (@pxref{Completion}),
but you can also complete symbol names in ordinary Emacs buffers.

@cindex tags-based completion
@kindex M-TAB
@kindex C-M-i
@findex completion-at-point@r{, in programming language modes}
@cindex Lisp symbol completion
@cindex completion (Lisp symbols)
@cindex code completion
  In most programming language modes, @kbd{C-M-i} (or
@kbd{M-@key{TAB}}@footnote{
On graphical displays, the @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} key is usually reserved
by the window manager for switching graphical windows, so you should
type @kbd{C-M-i} or @kbd{@key{ESC} @key{TAB}} instead.
}) invokes the command @code{completion-at-point}, which generates the
list of possible completions for the symbol at point.  This command
uses the available support facilities to come up with the completion
candidates:

@itemize @bullet
@cindex eglot, using to complete symbol at point
@item
If Eglot is activated for the current buffer's project
(@pxref{Projects}) and the current buffer's major mode, the command
tries to use the corresponding language server for producing the list
of completion candidates.  @xref{Eglot Features,,, eglot, Eglot: The
Emacs LSP Client}.

@item
If Semantic mode is enabled (@pxref{Semantic}), the command tries to
use the Semantic parser data for completion.

@item
If Semantic mode is not enabled or fails at performing completion, the
command tries to complete using the selected tags table (@pxref{Tags
Tables}); you need to visit the tags table with @w{@kbd{M-x
visit-tags-table}} for that to work.

@item
In Emacs Lisp mode, the command performs completion using the
function, variable, or property names defined in the current Emacs
session.
@end itemize

  In all other respects, in-buffer symbol completion behaves like
minibuffer completion.  For instance, if Emacs cannot complete to
a unique symbol, it displays a list of completion alternatives in
another window.  Then you can use the keys @kbd{M-@key{DOWN}} and
@kbd{M-@key{UP}} to navigate through the completions displayed
in the completions buffer without leaving the original buffer,
and the key @kbd{M-@key{RET}} to insert the currently highlighted
completion to the buffer.  @xref{Completion}.

  In Text mode and related modes, @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} completes words
based on the spell-checker's dictionary.  @xref{Spelling}.

@cindex completion preview
@cindex preview completion
@cindex suggestion preview
@cindex Completion Preview mode
@findex completion-preview-mode
@findex global-completion-preview-mode
  Completion Preview mode is a minor mode that shows completion
suggestions as you type.  You can enable it for the current buffer with
@kbd{M-x completion-preview-mode}, or globally with @w{@kbd{M-x
global-completion-preview-mode}}.  When Completion Preview mode is on,
Emacs automatically displays the suggested completion for text around
point as an in-line preview right after point; type @key{TAB} to accept
the suggestion.

@node MixedCase Words
@section MixedCase Words
@cindex camel case

  Some programming styles make use of mixed-case (or ``CamelCase'')
symbols like @samp{unReadableSymbol}.  (In the GNU project, we recommend
using underscores to separate words within an identifier, rather than
using case distinctions.)  Emacs has various features to make it easier
to deal with such symbols.

@cindex Glasses mode
@cindex mode, Glasses
  Glasses mode is a buffer-local minor mode that makes it easier to read
such symbols, by altering how they are displayed.  By default, it
displays extra underscores between each lower-case letter and the
following capital letter.  This does not alter the buffer text, only how
it is displayed.

  To toggle Glasses mode, type @kbd{M-x glasses-mode} (@pxref{Minor
Modes}).  When Glasses mode is enabled, the minor mode indicator
@samp{o^o} appears in the mode line.  For more information about
Glasses mode, type @kbd{C-h P glasses @key{RET}}.

@cindex Subword mode
@findex subword-mode
  Subword mode is another buffer-local minor mode.  In subword mode,
Emacs's word commands recognize upper case letters in
@samp{StudlyCapsIdentifiers} as word boundaries.  When Subword mode is
enabled, the minor mode indicator @samp{,} appears in the mode line.
See also the similar @code{superword-mode} (@pxref{Misc for Programs}).

@node Semantic
@section Semantic
@cindex Semantic package

Semantic is a package that provides language-aware editing commands
based on @code{source code parsers}.  This section provides a brief
description of Semantic; for full details,
@ifnottex
see @ref{Top, Semantic,, semantic, Semantic}.
@end ifnottex
@iftex
see the Semantic Info manual, which is distributed with Emacs.
@end iftex

  Most of the language-aware features in Emacs, such as Font Lock
mode (@pxref{Font Lock}), rely on rules of thumb@footnote{Regular
expressions and syntax tables.} that usually give good results but are
never completely exact.  In contrast, the parsers used by Semantic
have an exact understanding of programming language syntax.  This
allows Semantic to provide search, navigation, and completion commands
that are powerful and precise.

@cindex Semantic mode
@cindex mode, Semantic
  To begin using Semantic, type @kbd{M-x semantic-mode} or click on
the menu item named @samp{Source Code Parsers (Semantic)} in the
@samp{Tools} menu.  This enables Semantic mode, a global minor mode.

   When Semantic mode is enabled, Emacs automatically attempts to
parse each file you visit.  Currently, Semantic understands C, C++,
HTML, Java, Javascript, Make, Python, Scheme, SRecode, and Texinfo.
Within each parsed buffer, the following commands are available:

@table @kbd
@item C-c , j
@kindex C-c , j
Prompt for the name of a function defined in the current file, and
move point there (@code{semantic-complete-jump-local}).

@item C-c , J
@kindex C-c , J
Prompt for the name of a function defined in any file Emacs has
parsed, and move point there (@code{semantic-complete-jump}).

@item C-c , @key{SPC}
@kindex C-c , SPC
Display a list of possible completions for the symbol at point
(@code{semantic-complete-analyze-inline}).  This also activates a set
of special key bindings for choosing a completion: @kbd{@key{RET}}
accepts the current completion, @kbd{M-n} and @kbd{M-p} cycle through
possible completions, @kbd{@key{TAB}} completes as far as possible and
then cycles, and @kbd{C-g} or any other key aborts completion.

@item C-c , l
@kindex C-c , l
Display a list of the possible completions of the symbol at point, in
another window (@code{semantic-analyze-possible-completions}).
@end table

@noindent
In addition to the above commands, the Semantic package provides a
variety of other ways to make use of parser information.  For
instance, you can use it to display a list of completions when Emacs
is idle.
@ifnottex
@xref{Top, Semantic,, semantic, Semantic}, for details.
@end ifnottex

@node Misc for Programs
@section Other Features Useful for Editing Programs

  Some Emacs commands that aren't designed specifically for editing
programs are useful for that nonetheless.

  The Emacs commands that operate on words, sentences and paragraphs
are useful for editing code.  Most symbol names contain words
(@pxref{Words}), while sentences can be found in strings and comments
(@pxref{Sentences}).  As for paragraphs, they are defined in most
programming language modes to begin and end at blank lines
(@pxref{Paragraphs}).  Therefore, judicious use of blank lines to make
the program clearer will also provide useful chunks of text for the
paragraph commands to work on.  Auto Fill mode, if enabled in a
programming language major mode, indents the new lines which it
creates.

@findex superword-mode
 Superword mode is a buffer-local minor mode that causes editing and
motion commands to treat symbols (e.g., @samp{this_is_a_symbol}) as words.
When Superword mode is enabled, the minor mode indicator
@iftex
@samp{@math{^2}}
@end iftex
@ifnottex
@samp{²}
@end ifnottex
appears in the mode line.  See also the similar @code{subword-mode}
(@pxref{MixedCase Words}).

@findex electric-layout-mode
  Electric Layout mode (@kbd{M-x electric-layout-mode}) is a global
minor mode that automatically inserts newlines when you type certain
characters; for example, @samp{@{}, @samp{@}} and @samp{;} in Javascript
mode.

  Apart from Hideshow mode (@pxref{Hideshow}), another way to
selectively display parts of a program is to use the selective display
feature (@pxref{Selective Display}).  Programming modes often also
support Outline minor mode (@pxref{Outline Mode}), which can be used
with the Foldout package (@pxref{Foldout}).

@ifinfo
  The automatic typing features may be useful for writing programs.
@xref{Top,,Autotyping, autotype, Autotyping}.
@end ifinfo

@findex prettify-symbols-mode
  Prettify Symbols mode is a buffer-local minor mode that replaces
certain strings with more attractive versions for display purposes.
For example, in Emacs Lisp mode, it replaces the string @samp{lambda}
with the Greek lambda character @samp{λ}.  In a @TeX{} buffer, it will
replace @samp{\alpha} @dots{} @samp{\omega} and other math macros with
their Unicode characters.  You may wish to use this in non-programming
modes as well.  You can customize the mode by adding more entries to
@code{prettify-symbols-alist}.  More elaborate customization is
available via customizing @code{prettify-symbols-compose-predicate} if
its default value @code{prettify-symbols-default-compose-p} is not
appropriate.  There is also a global version,
@code{global-prettify-symbols-mode}, which enables the mode in all
buffers that support it.

  The symbol at point can be shown in its original form.  This is
controlled by the variable @code{prettify-symbols-unprettify-at-point}:
if non-@code{nil}, the original form of symbol at point will be
restored for as long as point is at it.


@node C Modes
@section C and Related Modes
@cindex C mode
@cindex Java mode
@cindex Pike mode
@cindex IDL mode
@cindex CORBA IDL mode
@cindex Objective C mode
@cindex C++ mode
@cindex AWK mode
@cindex mode, Java
@cindex mode, C
@cindex mode, C++
@cindex mode, Objective C
@cindex mode, CORBA IDL
@cindex mode, Pike
@cindex mode, AWK

  This section gives a brief description of the special features
available in C, C++, Objective-C, Java, CORBA IDL, Pike and AWK modes.
(These are called ``C mode and related modes''.)
@ifinfo
@xref{Top,, CC Mode, ccmode, CC Mode}, for more details.
@end ifinfo
@ifnotinfo
For more details, see the CC mode Info manual, which is distributed
with Emacs.
@end ifnotinfo

@menu
* Motion in C::                 Commands to move by C statements, etc.
* Electric C::                  Colon and other chars can automatically reindent.
* Hungry Delete::               A more powerful DEL command.
* Other C Commands::            Filling comments, viewing expansion of macros,
                                and other neat features.
@end menu

@node Motion in C
@subsection C Mode Motion Commands

  This section describes commands for moving point, in C mode and
related modes.

@table @code
@item C-M-a
@itemx C-M-e
@findex c-beginning-of-defun
@findex c-end-of-defun
Move point to the beginning or end of the current function or
top-level definition.  In languages with enclosing scopes (such as
C++'s classes) the @dfn{current function} is the immediate one,
possibly inside a scope.  Otherwise it is the one defined by the least
enclosing braces.  (By contrast, @code{beginning-of-defun} and
@code{end-of-defun} search for braces in column zero.)  @xref{Moving
by Defuns}.

@item C-c C-u
@kindex C-c C-u @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-up-conditional
Move point back to the containing preprocessor conditional, leaving the
mark behind.  A prefix argument acts as a repeat count.  With a negative
argument, move point forward to the end of the containing
preprocessor conditional.

@samp{#elif} is equivalent to @samp{#else} followed by @samp{#if}, so
the function will stop at a @samp{#elif} when going backward, but not
when going forward.

@item C-c C-p
@kindex C-c C-p @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-backward-conditional
Move point back over a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
behind.  A prefix argument acts as a repeat count.  With a negative
argument, move forward.

@item C-c C-n
@kindex C-c C-n @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-forward-conditional
Move point forward across a preprocessor conditional, leaving the mark
behind.  A prefix argument acts as a repeat count.  With a negative
argument, move backward.

@item M-a
@kindex M-a @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-beginning-of-statement
Move point to the beginning of the innermost C statement
(@code{c-beginning-of-statement}).  If point is already at the beginning
of a statement, move to the beginning of the preceding statement.  With
prefix argument @var{n}, move back @var{n} @minus{} 1 statements.

In comments or in strings which span more than one line, this command
moves by sentences instead of statements.

@item M-e
@kindex M-e @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-end-of-statement
Move point to the end of the innermost C statement or sentence; like
@kbd{M-a} except that it moves in the other direction
(@code{c-end-of-statement}).
@end table

@node Electric C
@subsection Electric C Characters

  In C mode and related modes, certain printing characters are
@dfn{electric}---in addition to inserting themselves, they also
reindent the current line, and optionally also insert newlines.  The
electric characters are @kbd{@{}, @kbd{@}}, @kbd{:}, @kbd{#},
@kbd{;}, @kbd{,}, @kbd{<}, @kbd{>}, @kbd{/}, @kbd{*}, @kbd{(}, and
@kbd{)}.

  You might find electric indentation inconvenient if you are editing
chaotically indented code.  If you are new to CC Mode, you might find
it disconcerting.  You can toggle electric action with the command
@kbd{C-c C-l}; when it is enabled, @samp{/@var{c}l} appears in the
mode line after the mode name (where @var{c}, if present, is @samp{*}
or @samp{/}, depending on whether the comment style is block or line).
@xref{Minor Modes,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}, for more about
mode-line indicators in CC Mode.

@table @kbd
@item C-c C-l
@kindex C-c C-l @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-toggle-electric-state
Toggle electric action (@code{c-toggle-electric-state}).  With a
positive prefix argument, this command enables electric action, with a
negative one it disables it.
@end table

  Electric characters insert newlines only when, in addition to the
electric state, the @dfn{auto-newline} feature is enabled (indicated
by @samp{/@var{c}la} in the mode line after the mode name).  You can
turn this feature on or off with the command @kbd{C-c C-a}:

@table @kbd
@item C-c C-a
@kindex C-c C-a @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-toggle-auto-newline
Toggle the auto-newline feature (@code{c-toggle-auto-newline}).  With a
prefix argument, this command turns the auto-newline feature on if the
argument is positive, and off if it is negative.
@end table

  Usually the CC Mode style configures the exact circumstances in
which Emacs inserts auto-newlines.  You can also configure this
directly.  @xref{Custom Auto-newlines,,, ccmode, The CC Mode Manual}.

@node Hungry Delete
@subsection Hungry Delete Feature in C
@cindex hungry deletion (C Mode)

  If you want to delete an entire block of whitespace at point, you
can use @dfn{hungry deletion}.  This deletes all the contiguous
whitespace either before point or after point in a single operation.
@dfn{Whitespace} here includes tabs and newlines, but not comments or
preprocessor commands.

@table @kbd
@item C-c C-@key{DEL}
@itemx C-c @key{DEL}
@findex c-hungry-delete-backwards
@kindex C-c C-DEL @r{(C Mode)}
@kindex C-c DEL @r{(C Mode)}
Delete the entire block of whitespace preceding point (@code{c-hungry-delete-backwards}).

@item C-c C-d
@itemx C-c C-@key{Delete}
@itemx C-c @key{Delete}
@findex c-hungry-delete-forward
@kindex C-c C-d @r{(C Mode)}
@kindex C-c C-Delete @r{(C Mode)}
@kindex C-c Delete @r{(C Mode)}
Delete the entire block of whitespace after point (@code{c-hungry-delete-forward}).
@end table

  As an alternative to the above commands, you can enable @dfn{hungry
delete mode}.  When this feature is enabled (indicated by @samp{h}
after a @samp{/} in the mode line after the mode name), a single
@kbd{@key{DEL}} deletes all preceding whitespace, not just one space,
and a single @kbd{C-d} (but @emph{not} plain @kbd{@key{Delete}})
deletes all following whitespace.

@table @kbd
@item M-x c-toggle-hungry-state
@findex c-toggle-hungry-state
Toggle the hungry-delete feature
(@code{c-toggle-hungry-state}).  With a prefix argument,
this command turns the hungry-delete feature on if the argument is
positive, and off if it is negative.
@end table

@vindex c-hungry-delete-key
   The variable @code{c-hungry-delete-key} controls whether the
hungry-delete feature is enabled.

@node Other C Commands
@subsection Other Commands for C Mode

@table @kbd
@item M-x c-context-line-break
@findex c-context-line-break
This command inserts a line break and indents the new line in a manner
appropriate to the context.  In normal code, it does the work of
@kbd{@key{RET}} (@code{newline}), in a C preprocessor line it additionally
inserts a @samp{\} at the line break, and within comments it's like
@kbd{M-j} (@code{c-indent-new-comment-line}).

@code{c-context-line-break} isn't bound to a key by default, but it
needs a binding to be useful.  The following code will bind it to
@kbd{@key{RET}}.  We use @code{c-initialization-hook} here to make
sure the keymap is loaded before we try to change it.

@example
(defun my-bind-clb ()
  (keymap-set c-mode-base-map "RET"
              'c-context-line-break))
(add-hook 'c-initialization-hook 'my-bind-clb)
@end example

@item C-M-h
Put mark at the end of a function definition, and put point at the
beginning (@code{c-mark-function}).

@item M-q
@kindex M-q @r{(C mode)}
@findex c-fill-paragraph
Fill a paragraph, handling C and C++ comments (@code{c-fill-paragraph}).
If any part of the current line is a comment or within a comment, this
command fills the comment or the paragraph of it that point is in,
preserving the comment indentation and comment delimiters.

@item C-c C-e
@cindex macro expansion in C
@cindex expansion of C macros
@findex c-macro-expand
@kindex C-c C-e @r{(C mode)}
Run the C preprocessor on the text in the region, and show the result,
which includes the expansion of all the macro calls
(@code{c-macro-expand}).  The buffer text before the region is also
included in preprocessing, for the sake of macros defined there, but the
output from this part isn't shown.

When you are debugging C code that uses macros, sometimes it is hard to
figure out precisely how the macros expand.  With this command, you
don't have to figure it out; you can see the expansions.

@item C-c C-\
@findex c-backslash-region
@kindex C-c C-\ @r{(C mode)}
Insert or align @samp{\} characters at the ends of the lines of the
region (@code{c-backslash-region}).  This is useful after writing or
editing a C macro definition.

If a line already ends in @samp{\}, this command adjusts the amount of
whitespace before it.  Otherwise, it inserts a new @samp{\}.  However,
the last line in the region is treated specially; no @samp{\} is
inserted on that line, and any @samp{\} there is deleted.

@item M-x cpp-highlight-buffer
@cindex preprocessor highlighting
@findex cpp-highlight-buffer
Highlight parts of the text according to its preprocessor conditionals.
This command displays another buffer named @file{*CPP Edit*}, which
serves as a graphic menu for selecting how to display particular kinds
of conditionals and their contents.  After changing various settings,
click on @samp{[A]pply these settings} (or go to that buffer and type
@kbd{a}) to rehighlight the C mode buffer accordingly.

@item C-c C-s
@findex c-show-syntactic-information
@kindex C-c C-s @r{(C mode)}
Display the syntactic information about the current source line
(@code{c-show-syntactic-information}).  This information directs how
the line is indented.

@item M-x cwarn-mode
@itemx M-x global-cwarn-mode
@findex cwarn-mode
@findex global-cwarn-mode
@vindex global-cwarn-mode
@cindex CWarn mode
@cindex suspicious constructions in C, C++
CWarn minor mode highlights certain suspicious C and C++ constructions:

@itemize @bullet{}
@item
Assignments inside expressions.
@item
Semicolon following immediately after @samp{if}, @samp{for}, and @samp{while}
(except after a @samp{do @dots{} while} statement);
@item
C++ functions with reference parameters.
@end itemize

@noindent
You can enable the mode for one buffer with the command @kbd{M-x
cwarn-mode}, or for all suitable buffers with the command @kbd{M-x
global-cwarn-mode} or by customizing the variable
@code{global-cwarn-mode}.  You must also enable Font Lock mode to make
it work.

@item M-x hide-ifdef-mode
@findex hide-ifdef-mode
@cindex Hide-ifdef mode
@vindex hide-ifdef-shadow
Hide-ifdef minor mode hides selected code within @samp{#if} and
@samp{#ifdef} preprocessor blocks.  If you change the variable
@code{hide-ifdef-shadow} to @code{t}, Hide-ifdef minor mode
shadows preprocessor blocks by displaying them with a less
prominent face, instead of hiding them entirely.  See the
documentation string of @code{hide-ifdef-mode} for more information.

@item M-x ff-find-related-file
@cindex related files
@findex ff-find-related-file
@vindex ff-related-file-alist
Find a file related in a special way to the file visited by the
current buffer.  Typically this will be the header file corresponding
to a C/C++ source file, or vice versa.  The variable
@code{ff-related-file-alist} specifies how to compute related file
names.
@end table

@node Asm Mode
@section Asm Mode

@cindex Asm mode
@cindex assembler mode
Asm mode is a major mode for editing files of assembler code.  It
defines these commands:

@table @kbd
@item @key{TAB}
@code{tab-to-tab-stop}.
@c FIXME: Maybe this should be consistent with other programming modes.

@item C-j
Insert a newline and then indent using @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.

@item :
Insert a colon and then remove the indentation from before the label
preceding colon.  Then do @code{tab-to-tab-stop}.

@item ;
Insert or align a comment.
@end table

  The variable @code{asm-comment-char} specifies which character
starts comments in assembler syntax.

@ifnottex
@include fortran-xtra.texi
@end ifnottex
