How to write a major mode?

How to write a major mode?

[Arjan Bos]

Hi all,

Are there any pointers to documentation that show me how to program my 
own major mode? We created our own language with antlr, and of course we 
  want it font-locked and indented automatically from within emacs.

1) Which functions do I need to create?
2) Are there any elisp docs out there that could help me with those 
function?
3) What is the best way to provide indenting and font-locking?

Is there a small, well documented major-mode that I can use as a basis?

These are a lot of questions. I hope I get answers to them all ;-)

TIA

Arjan Bos

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Phillip Lord]

>>>>> "Arjan" == Arjan Bos <Arjan.Bos@icu.nl> writes:

  Arjan> Hi all,

  Arjan> Are there any pointers to documentation that show me how to
  Arjan> program my own major mode? We created our own language with
  Arjan> antlr, and of course we want it font-locked and indented
  Arjan> automatically from within emacs.

  Arjan> 1) Which functions do I need to create?
  Arjan> 2) Are there any elisp docs out there that could help me with
  Arjan>    those
  Arjan> function?
  Arjan> 3) What is the best way to provide indenting and
  Arjan>    font-locking?

  Arjan> Is there a small, well documented major-mode that I can use
  Arjan> as a basis?

  Arjan> These are a lot of questions. I hope I get answers to them
  Arjan> all ;-)

 
There is a emacs lisp primer, and manual, which you can get from the
GNU sites. They are both fairly good. There is also, of course, of lot
of source, much of which is well documented which you can read. 

In your case I think you want to take a look at "generic.el" and
"generic-x.el" which are designed for building small major modes, with
font locking, and indentation. 

Phil

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Lute Kamstra]

Arjan Bos <Arjan.Bos@icu.nl> writes:

> Are there any pointers to documentation that show me how to program
> my own major mode? We created our own language with antlr, and of
> course we want it font-locked and indented automatically from within
> emacs.
>
> 1) Which functions do I need to create?
> 2) Are there any elisp docs out there that could help me with those
> function?
> 3) What is the best way to provide indenting and font-locking?

The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual has a chapter about writing major
modes.  If I recall correctly, http://www.emacswiki.org has some
useful information as well.

> Is there a small, well documented major-mode that I can use as a
> basis?

Take a look at some of the major modes that come with Emacs.  An
example of a small mode is text-mode (lisp/textmodes/text-mode.el).

  Lute.

-- 
(spook) => "militia benelux New World Order"
(insert-file-contents "~/.signature") => (error "`~/.signature' too rude")

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Johan Bockgård]

Lute Kamstra <Lute.Kamstra@cwi.nl> writes:
> Arjan Bos <Arjan.Bos@icu.nl> writes:

> If I recall correctly, http://www.emacswiki.org has some useful
> information as well.

http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/ModeTutorial

>> Is there a small, well documented major-mode that I can use as a
>> basis?

http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/SampleMode

-- 
Johan Bockgård

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Alex Schroeder]

Lute Kamstra <Lute.Kamstra@cwi.nl> writes:

> If I recall correctly, http://www.emacswiki.org has some useful
> information as well.

Indeed.  Here is from
http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl/CategoryCode

How to start writing a new major mode:

    * GenericMode -- for very simple modes including font-locking and comments
    * DerivedMode -- for new modes very similar to existing modes
    * SampleMode -- complete elisp example for a real major mode
    * ModeTutorial -- a tutorial for mode writers

Alex.
-- 
http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/
There is no substitute for experience.

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Arjan Bos]

Many thanks to all that replied! Emacs wiki, the sample mode and the 
mode tutorial proved very usedful indeed. Next to that, a colleague of 
mine turned up with an O'Reilly book on customizing emacs. It deals with 
gnu-emacs 19.18, but I quess that the principles haven't changed that much.

Again, thanks for all the fantastic info

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Kai Großjohann]

Phillip Lord <p.lord@russet.org.uk> writes:

> In your case I think you want to take a look at "generic.el" and
> "generic-x.el" which are designed for building small major modes, with
> font locking, and indentation. 

Does generic.el do indentation?
-- 
Two cafe au lait please, but without milk.

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Kai Großjohann]

In addition to the suggestions from the others, see the node
"(elisp)Major Modes" in Info.

You will have to download and install the Emacs Lisp Reference
manual, available from ftp.gnu.org and its mirrors.

Then, C-h i and then g and then enter the above node name, terminated
with RET.
-- 
Two cafe au lait please, but without milk.

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Phillip Lord]

>>>>> "Kai" == Kai Großjohann <kai.grossjohann@gmx.net> writes:

  Kai> Phillip Lord <p.lord@russet.org.uk> writes:

  >> In your case I think you want to take a look at "generic.el" and
  >> "generic-x.el" which are designed for building small major modes,
  >> with font locking, and indentation.

  Kai> Does generic.el do indentation?  

No it doesn't. My mistake.

indent.el does do indentation however, and there are a couple of
functions in there which will be good for many new modes. 

Phil

Re: How to write a major mode?

[Rob Thorpe]

Arjan Bos <Arjan.Bos@icu.nl> wrote in message news:<3f4ba9a4$0$45387$1b62eedf@news.wanadoo.nl>...
> Many thanks to all that replied! Emacs wiki, the sample mode and the 
> mode tutorial proved very usedful indeed. Next to that, a colleague of 
> mine turned up with an O'Reilly book on customizing emacs. It deals with 
> gnu-emacs 19.18, but I quess that the principles haven't changed that much.
> 
> Again, thanks for all the fantastic info

In addition, I wrote a short mode in answer to a question

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=1a61f7e5.0206240840.321cc8bb%40posting.google.com&rnum=21&prev=/groups%3Fq%3D%2522robert%2Bthorpe%2522%2Bgroup:comp.emacs%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26start%3D20%26sa%3DN

also, awk mode-and asm-mode are simple and easy to read examples of
modes.