gnu1987/gnucmds/diff/diff-NEWS.~11~

GNU Emacs NEWS -- history of user-visible changes.  12-Jun-1986
Copyright (C) 1986 Richard M. Stallman.
See the end for copying conditions.

Changes in Emacs 18

* Additional systems and machines are supported.

GNU Emacs now runs on Vax VMS (Vomit Making System).  However,
many facilities that are normally implemented by running subprocesses
do not work yet.  This includes listing a directory and sending mail.

In addition, the TI Nu machine running Unix system V, and the Masscomp
and Gould Unix systems are now supported.  The IBM PC-RT is supported,
under 4.2, but not yet under system V.

* Display changes.

When you delete or kill or alter text that reaches to the top of the screen or
above it, so that display would start in the middle of a line, Emacs
Emacs will usually attempt to scroll the text so that display starts
at the beginning of a line again.

* File loading changes.

`load' now considers all possible suffixes (`.elc', `.el' and none)
for each directory in `load-path' before going on to the next directory.
It now accepts an optional fourth argument which, if non-nil, says to
use no suffixes; then the file name must be given in full.  The search
of the directories in `load-path' goes on as usual in this case; but
it too can be prevented by passing an absolute file name.

The value of `load-path' no longer by default includes nil (meaning to
look in the current default directory).  The idea is that `load' should
be used to search the path only for libraries to be found in the standard
places.  If you want to override system libraries with your own, place
your own libraries in one special directory and add that directory to the
front of `load-path'.

The function `load' is no longer a command; that is to say, `M-x load'
is no longer allowed.  Instead, there are two commands for loading files.
`M-x load-library' is equivalent to the old meaning of `M-x load'.
`M-x load-file' reads a file name with completion and defaulting
and then loads that file, exactly, with no searching and no suffixes.

* `tags-query-replace' and `tags-search' changes

These functions now display the name of the file being searched at the moment.

* C-M-v in minibuffer.

If while in the minibuffer you request help in a way that uses a
window to display something, then until you exit the minibuffer C-M-v
in the minibuffer window scrolls the window of help.

For example, if you request a list of possible completions, C-M-v can
be used reliably to scroll the completion list.

* C mode indentation change.

The binding of Linefeed is no longer changed by C mode.  It once again
has its normal meaning, which is to insert a newline and then indent
afterward.

The old definition did one additional thing: it reindented the line
before the new newline.  This has been removed because it made the
command twice as slow.  The only time it was really useful was after the
insertion of an `else', since the fact of starting with `else' may change
the way that line is indented.  Now you will have to type TAB again
yourself to reindent the `else' properly.

* C-x C-v generalized

This command is now allowed even if the current buffer is not visiting
a file.  As usual, it kills the current buffer and replaces it with a
newly found file.

* M-x recover-file improved.

M-x recover-file now checks whether the last auto-save file is more
recent than the real visited file before offering to read in the
auto-save file.  If the auto-save file is newer, a directory listing
containing the two files is displayed while you are asked whether you
want the auto save file.

* Telnet mode changes.

The telnet mode special commands have now been assigned to C-c keys.
Most of them are the same as in Shell mode.

* Picture mode changes.

The special picture-mode commands to specify the direction of cursor
motion after insertion have been moved to C-c keys.  The commands to
specify diagonal motion were already C-c keys; they are unchanged.
The keys to specify horizontal or vertical motion are now
C-c < (left), C-c > (right), C-c ^ (up) and C-c . (down).

* Nroff mode comments.

Comments are now supported in Nroff mode.  The standard comment commands
such as M-; and C-x ; know how to insert, align and delete comments
that start with backslash-doublequote.

* Modifying a buffer whose file is changed on disk is detected instantly.

On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or saved.
If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change the buffer.

* New support for keypads and function keys.

There is now a first attempt at terminal-independent support for
keypad and function keys.

Emacs now defines a standard set of key-names for function and keypad
keys, and provides standard hooks for defining them.  Most of the
standard key-names have default definitions built into Emacs; you can
override these in a terminal-independent manner.  The default definitions
and the conventions for redefining them are in the file `lisp/keypad.el'.

These keys on the terminal normally work by sending sequences of
characters starting with ESC.  The exact sequences used vary from
terminal to terminal.  Emacs interprets them in two stages:
in the first stage, terminal-dependent sequences are mapped into
the standard key-names; then second stage maps the standard key-names
into their definitions in a terminal-independent fashion.

The terminal-specific file `term/$TERM.el' now is responsible only for
establishing the mapping from the terminal's escape sequences into
standard key-names.  It no longer knows what Emacs commands are
assigned to the standard key-names.

One other change in terminal-specific files: if the value of the TERM
variable contains a hyphen, only the part before the first hyphen is
used in forming the name of the terminal-specific file.  Thus, for
terminal type `aaa-48', the file loaded is now `term/aaa.el' rather
than `term/aaa-48.el'.

* mh-e changes.

A new version of mh-e is installed.  I do not know how it differs
from the old one; but then, I don't know how to use the old one.

* Outline mode changes.

The special outline heading motion commands are now all on C-c keys.
A few new ones have been added.  Here is a full list:

C-c C-n   Move to next visible heading (formerly M-})
C-c C-p   Move to previous visible heading (formerly M-{)
C-c C-f   Move to next visible heading at the same level.
	   Thus, if point is on a level-2 heading line,
	   this command moves to the next visible level-2 heading.
C-c C-b   Move to previous visible heading at the same level.
C-c C-u   Move up to previous visible heading at a higher level.

* Backup file changes.

If a backup file cannot be written in the directory of the visited file
due to fascist file protection, a backup file is now written in your home
directory as `~/-backup-'.  Only one such file is made, ever, so only
the most recently made such backup is available.

When backup files are made by copying, the last-modification time of the
original file is now preserved in the backup copy.

* Init file changes.

** Suffixes no longer accepted on `.emacs'.

Emacs will no longer load a file named `.emacs.el' or `emacs.elc'
in place of `.emacs'.  This is so that it will take less time to
find `.emacs'.  If you want to compile your init file, give it another
name and make `.emacs' a link to the `.elc' file, or make it contain
a call to `load' to load the `.elc' file.

** `default-profile' renamed to `default', and loaded after `.emacs'.

It used to be the case that the file `default-profile' was loaded if
and only if `.emacs' was not found.

Now the name `default-profile' is not used at all.  Instead, a library
named `default' is loaded after the `.emacs' file.  `default' is loaded
whether the `.emacs' file exists or not.  However, loading of `default'
can be prevented if the `.emacs' file sets `inhibit-default-init' to non-nil.

In fact, you would call the default file `default.el' and probably would
byte-compile it to speed execution.

Note that for most purposes you are better off using a `site-init' library
since that will be loaded before the runnable Emacs is dumped.  By using
a `site-init' library, you avoid taking up time each time Emacs is started.

** inhibit-command-line has been eliminated.

This variable used to exist for .emacs files to set.  It has been
eliminated because you can get the same effect by setting
command-line-args to nil and setting inhibit-startup-message to t.

* New function `substitute-key-definition'.

This is a new way to replace one command with another command as the
binding of whatever keys may happen to refer to it.

(substitute-key-definition OLDDEF NEWDEF KEYMAP) looks through KEYMAP
for keys defined to run OLDDEF, and rebinds those keys to run NEWDEF
instead.

* New function `file-newer-than-file-p'.

(file-newer-than-file-p FILE1 FILE2) returns non-nil if FILE1 has been
modified more recently than FILE2.  If FILE1 does not exist, the value
is always nil; otherwise, if FILE2 does not exist, the value is t.
This is meant for use when FILE2 depends on FILE1, to see if changes
in FILE1 make it necessary to recompute FILE2 from it.

* Changed function `file-exists-p'.

This function is no longer the same as `file-readable-p'.
`file-exists-p' can now return t for a file that exists but which
the fascists won't allow you to read.

* New function `file-name-sans-versions'.

(file-name-sans-versions NAME) returns a substring of NAME, with any
version numbers or other backup suffixes deleted from the end.

* New functions for directory names.

Although a directory is really a kind of file, specifying a directory
uses a somewhat different syntax from specifying a file.
In Emacs, a directory name is used as part of a file name.

On Unix, the difference is small: a directory name ends in a slash,
while a file name does not: thus, `/usr/rms/' to name a directory,
while `/usr/rms' names the file which holds that directory.

On VMS, the difference is considerable: `du:[rms.foo]' specifies a
directory, but the name of the file that holds that directory is
`du:[rms]foo.dir'.

There are two new functions for converting between directory names
and file names.  `directory-file-name' takes a directory name and
returns the name of the file in which that directory's data is stored.
`file-name-as-directory' takes the name of a file and returns
the corresponding directory name.  These always understand Unix file name
syntax; on VMS, they understand VMS syntax as well.

For example, (file-name-as-directory "/usr/rms") returns "/usr/rms/"
and (directory-file-name "/usr/rms/") returns "/usr/rms".
On VMS, (file-name-as-directory "du:[rms]foo.dir") returns "du:[rms.foo]"
and (directory-file-name "du:[rms.foo]") returns "du:[rms]foo.dir".

* New optional argument to `copy-file'.

If `copy-file' receives a non-nil fourth argument, it attempts
to give the new copy the same time-of-last-modification that the
original file has.

* New argument to `set-screen-height' or `set-screen-width'.

These functions now take an optional second argument which says
what significance the newly specified height or width has.

If the argument is nil, or absent, it means that Emacs should
believe that the terminal height or width really is as just specified.

If the argument is t, it means Emacs should not believe that the
terminal really is this high or wide, but it should use the
specific height or width as the number of lines or columns to display.
Thus, you could display only 24 lines on a screen known to have 48 lines.

What practical difference is there between using only 24 lines for display
and really believing that the terminal has 24 lines?

1. The ``real'' height of the terminal says what the terminal command
to move the cursor to the last line will do.

2. The ``real'' height of the terminal determines how much padding is
needed.

* New function (VMS only) `define-logical-name':

(define-logical-name LOGICAL TRANSLATION) defines a VMS logical name
LOGICAL whose translation is TRANSLATION.  The new name applies to
the current process only.

* New function `process-exit-status'.

This function, given a process, process name or buffer as argument,
returns the exit status code or signal number of the process.
If the process has not yet exited or died, this function returns 0.

* New code-letter for `interactive'.

(interactive "NFoo: ") is like (interactive "nFoo: ") in reading
a number using the minibuffer to serve as the argument; however,
if a prefix argument was specified, it uses the prefix argument
value as the argument, and does not use the minibuffer at all.

This is used by the `goto-line' and `goto-char' commands.

* New per-buffer variable `selective-display-ellipses'.

If this variable is non-nil, an ellipsis (`...') appears on the screen
at the end of each text line that is followed by invisible text.

If this variable is nil, no ellipses appear.  Then there is no sign
on the screen that invisible text is present.

Text is made invisible under the control of the variable
`selective-display'; this is how Outline mode and C-x $ work.

* New variable `no-redraw-on-reenter'.

If you set this variable non-nil, Emacs will not clear the screen when
you resume it after suspending it.  This is for the sake of terminals
with multiple screens of memory, where the termcap entry has been set
up to switch between screens when Emacs is suspended and resumed.

For older news, see the file ONEWS.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright information:

Copyright (C) 1986 Richard M. Stallman

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   Permission is granted to distribute modified versions
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   under the above conditions, provided also that they
   carry prominent notices stating who last changed them.

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