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File: custom.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Declaring Groups,  Prev: (dir),  Up: (dir)

The Customization Library
*************************

This manual describes how to declare customization groups, variables,
and faces.  It doesn't contain any examples, but please look at the file
`cus-edit.el' which contains many declarations you can learn from.

* Menu:

* Declaring Groups::
* Declaring Variables::
* Declaring Faces::
* Usage for Package Authors::
* Utilities::
* The Init File::
* Wishlist::

   All the customization declarations can be changes by keyword
arguments.  Groups, variables, and faces all share these common
keywords:

`:group'
     VALUE should be a customization group.  Add SYMBOL to that group.

`:link'
     VALUE should be a widget type.  Add VALUE to the external links
     for this customization option.  Useful widget types include
     `custom-manual', `info-link', and `url-link'.

`:load'
     Add VALUE to the files that should be loaded before displaying
     this customization option.  The value should be either a string,
     which should be a string which will be loaded with `load-library'
     unless present in `load-history', or a symbol which will be loaded
     with `require'.

`:tag'
     VALUE should be a short string used for identifying the option in
     customization menus and buffers.  By default the tag will be
     automatically created from the options name.


File: custom.info,  Node: Declaring Groups,  Next: Declaring Variables,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

Declaring Groups
================

Use `defgroup' to declare new customization groups.

 - Function: defgroup symbol members doc [keyword value]...
     Declare SYMBOL as a customization group containing MEMBERS.
     SYMBOL does not need to be quoted.

     DOC is the group documentation.

     MEMBERS should be an alist of the form ((NAME WIDGET)...) where
     NAME is a symbol and WIDGET is a widget for editing that symbol.
     Useful widgets are `custom-variable' for editing variables,
     `custom-face' for editing faces, and `custom-group' for editing
     groups.

     Internally, custom uses the symbol property `custom-group' to keep
     track of the group members, and `group-documentation' for the
     documentation string.

     The following additional KEYWORD's are defined:

    `:prefix'
          VALUE should be a string.  If the string is a prefix for the
          name of a member of the group, that prefix will be ignored
          when creating a tag for that member.


File: custom.info,  Node: Declaring Variables,  Next: Declaring Faces,  Prev: Declaring Groups,  Up: Top

Declaring Variables
===================

Use `defcustom' to declare user editable variables.

 - Function: defcustom symbol value doc [keyword value]...
     Declare SYMBOL as a customizable variable that defaults to VALUE.
     Neither SYMBOL nor VALUE needs to be quoted.  If SYMBOL is not
     already bound, initialize it to VALUE.

     DOC is the variable documentation.

     The following additional KEYWORD's are defined:

    `:type'
          VALUE should be a widget type.

    `:options'
          VALUE should be a list of possible members of the specified
          type.  For hooks, this is a list of function names.

    `:initialize'
          VALUE should be a function used to initialize the variable.
          It takes two arguments, the symbol and value given in the
          `defcustom' call.  Some predefined functions are:

         `custom-initialize-set'
               Use the `:set' method to initialize the variable.  Do not
               initialize it if already bound.  This is the default
               `:initialize' method.

         `custom-initialize-default'
               Always use `set-default' to initialize the variable,
               even if a `:set' method has been specified.

         `custom-initialize-reset'
               If the variable is already bound, reset it by calling
               the `:set' method with the value returned by the `:get'
               method.

         `custom-initialize-changed'
               Like `custom-initialize-reset', but use `set-default' to
               initialize the variable if it is not bound and has not
               been set already.

    `:set'
          VALUE should be a function to set the value of the symbol.  It
          takes two arguments, the symbol to set and the value to give
          it.  The default is `set-default'.

    `:get'
          VALUE should be a function to extract the value of symbol.
          The function takes one argument, a symbol, and should return
          the current value for that symbol.  The default is
          `default-value'.

    `:require'
          VALUE should be a feature symbol.  Each feature will be
          required when the `defcustom' is evaluated, or when Emacs is
          started if the user has saved this option.


     *Note Sexp Types: (widget)Sexp Types, for information about
     widgets to use together with the `:type' keyword.

   Internally, custom uses the symbol property `custom-type' to keep
track of the variables type, `standard-value' for the program specified
default value, `saved-value' for a value saved by the user, and
`variable-documentation' for the documentation string.

   Use `custom-add-option' to specify that a specific function is
useful as an member of a hook.

 - Function: custom-add-option symbol option
     To the variable SYMBOL add OPTION.

     If SYMBOL is a hook variable, OPTION should be a hook member.  For
     other types variables, the effect is undefined."


File: custom.info,  Node: Declaring Faces,  Next: Usage for Package Authors,  Prev: Declaring Variables,  Up: Top

Declaring Faces
===============

Faces are declared with `defface'.

 - Function: defface face spec doc [keyword value]...
     Declare FACE as a customizable face that defaults to SPEC.  FACE
     does not need to be quoted.

     If FACE has been set with `custom-set-face', set the face
     attributes as specified by that function, otherwise set the face
     attributes according to SPEC.

     DOC is the face documentation.

     SPEC should be an alist of the form `((DISPLAY ATTS)...)'.

     ATTS is a list of face attributes and their values.  The possible
     attributes are defined in the variable `custom-face-attributes'.

     The ATTS of the first entry in SPEC where the DISPLAY matches the
     frame should take effect in that frame.  DISPLAY can either be the
     symbol `t', which will match all frames, or an alist of the form
     `((REQ ITEM...)...)'

     For the DISPLAY to match a FRAME, the REQ property of the frame
     must match one of the ITEM.  The following REQ are defined:

    `type'
          (the value of (window-system))
          Should be one of `x' or `tty'.

    `class'
          (the frame's color support)
          Should be one of `color', `grayscale', or `mono'.

    `background'
          (what color is used for the background text)
          Should be one of `light' or `dark'.

     Internally, custom uses the symbol property `face-defface-spec' for
     the program specified default face properties, `saved-face' for
     properties saved by the user, and `face-documentation' for the
     documentation string.



File: custom.info,  Node: Usage for Package Authors,  Next: Utilities,  Prev: Declaring Faces,  Up: Top

Usage for Package Authors
=========================

The recommended usage for the author of a typical emacs lisp package is
to create one group identifying the package, and make all user options
and faces members of that group.  If the package has more than around 20
such options, they should be divided into a number of subgroups, with
each subgroup being member of the top level group.

   The top level group for the package should itself be member of one or
more of the standard customization groups.  There exists a group for
each _finder_ keyword.  Press `C-h p' to see a list of finder keywords,
and add you group to each of them, using the `:group' keyword.


File: custom.info,  Node: Utilities,  Next: The Init File,  Prev: Usage for Package Authors,  Up: Top

Utilities
=========

These utilities can come in handy when adding customization support.

 - Widget: custom-manual
     Widget type for specifying the info manual entry for a
     customization option.  It takes one argument, an info address.

 - Function: custom-add-to-group group member widget
     To existing GROUP add a new MEMBER of type WIDGET, If there
     already is an entry for that member, overwrite it.

 - Function: custom-add-link symbol widget
     To the custom option SYMBOL add the link WIDGET.

 - Function: custom-add-load symbol load
     To the custom option SYMBOL add the dependency LOAD.  LOAD should
     be either a library file name, or a feature name.

 - Function: customize-menu-create symbol &optional name
     Create menu for customization group SYMBOL.  If optional NAME is
     given, use that as the name of the menu.  Otherwise the menu will
     be named `Customize'.  The menu is in a format applicable to
     `easy-menu-define'.


File: custom.info,  Node: The Init File,  Next: Wishlist,  Prev: Utilities,  Up: Top

The Init File
=============

When you save the customizations, call to `custom-set-variables',
`custom-set-faces' are inserted into the file specified by
`custom-file'.  By default `custom-file' is your `.emacs' file.  If you
use another file, you must explicitly load it yourself.  The two
functions will initialize variables and faces as you have specified.


File: custom.info,  Node: Wishlist,  Prev: The Init File,  Up: Top

Wishlist
========

   * Better support for keyboard operations in the customize buffer.

   * Integrate with `w3' so you can get customization buffers with much
     better formatting.  I'm thinking about adding a
     <custom>name</custom> tag.  The latest w3 have some support for
     this, so come up with a convincing example.

   * Add an `examples' section, with explained examples of custom type
     definitions.

   * Support selectable color themes.  I.e., change many faces by
     setting one variable.

   * Support undo using lmi's `gnus-undo.el'.

   * Make it possible to append to `choice', `radio', and `set' options.

   * Ask whether set or modified variables should be saved in
     `kill-buffer-hook'.

     Ditto for `kill-emacs-query-functions'.

   * Command to check if there are any customization options that does
     not belong to an existing group.

   * Optionally disable the point-cursor and instead highlight the
     selected item in XEmacs.  This is like the *Completions* buffer in
     XEmacs.  Suggested by Jens Lautenbacher
     `<jens@lemming0.lem.uni-karlsruhe.de>'.

   * Explain why it is necessary that all choices have different default
     values.

   * Make it possible to include a comment/remark/annotation when
     saving an option.

   * Add some direct support for meta variables, i.e. make it possible
     to specify that this variable should be reset when that variable is
     changed.

   * Add tutorial.

   * Describe the `:type' syntax in this manual.

   * Find a place is this manual for the following text:

     *Radio vs. Buttons*

     Use a radio if you can't find a good way to describe the item in
     the choice menu text.  I.e. it is better to use a radio if you
     expect the user would otherwise manually select each item from the
     choice menu in turn to see what it expands too.

     Avoid radios if some of the items expands to complex structures.

     I mostly use radios when most of the items are of type
     `function-item' or `variable-item'.

   * Update customize buffers when `custom-set-variable' or
     `custom-save-customized' is called.

   * Better handling of saved but uninitialized items.

   * Detect when faces have been changed outside customize.

   * Enable mouse help in Emacs by default.

   * Add an easy way to display the standard settings when an item is
     modified.

   * See if it is feasible to scan files for customization information
     instead of loading them,

   * Add hint message when user push a non-pushable tag.

     Suggest that the user unhide if hidden, and edit the value directly
     otherwise.

   * Use checkboxes and radio buttons in the state menus.

   * Add option to hide `[hide]' for short options.  Default, on.

   * Add option to hide `[state]' for options with their standard
     settings.

   * There should be a way to specify site defaults for user options.

   * There should be more buffer styles.  The default `nested style,
     the old `outline' style, a `numeric' style with numbers instead of
     stars, an `empty' style with just the group name, and `compact'
     with only one line per item.

   * Newline and tab should be displayed as `^J' and `^I' in the
     `regexp' and `file' widgets.  I think this can be done in XEmacs
     by adding a display table to the face.

   * Use glyphs to draw the `customize-browse' tree.

     Add echo and balloon help.  You should be able to read the
     documentation simply by moving the mouse pointer above the name.

     Add parent links.

     Add colors.




Tag Table:
Node: Top81
Node: Declaring Groups1499
Node: Declaring Variables2597
Node: Declaring Faces5686
Node: Usage for Package Authors7381
Node: Utilities8157
Node: The Init File9238
Node: Wishlist9687

End Tag Table
