3 Command Reference

defmode

Function

Summary

Defines new editor modes.

Package

editor

Signature

defmode name setup-function syntax-table key-bindings no-redefine
   vars cleanup-function major-p transparent-p precedence => nil

Arguments

name: A string containing the name of the mode being defined.
setup-function: Name of function which sets up a buffer in this mode.
key-bindings: A quoted list of key-binding directions.
no-redefine: If t, the mode cannot be re-defined. The default value isnil.
vars: A quoted list of Editor variable definitions.
aliases: A quoted list of synonyms for name.
cleanup-function: Called upon exit from a buffer in this mode.
major-p: Ift, the mode is defined as major, otherwise minor. The default value isnil.

Values

defmode returnsnil.

Description

This function defines an Editor mode called name. By default, any mode defined is a minor one -- specification of major-mode status is made by supplyingt to the major-p argument.

defmode is essentially for the purposes of mode specification -- not all of the essential definitions required to establish a new Editor mode are made in adefmode call. In the example, below, other required calls are shown.

Key-bindings can be defined by supplying a quoted list of bindings, where a binding is a list containing as a first element the (string) name of the Editor command being bound, and as the second, the key binding description (see the LispWorks Guide to the Editor, page 5-2 for example key-bindings).

The state of Editor variables can be changed in the definition of a mode. These are supplied as a quoted list of dotted pairs, where the first element of the pair is the (string) name of the variable to be changed, and the second is the new value.

Example

Let us define a minor mode,Foo.Foo has a set-up function, calledsetup-foo-mode. All files with suffix.foo invokeFoo-mode. First, thedefmode call itself:

(defmode "Foo" :setup-function 'setup-foo-mode)

: The next piece of code makes.foo files invokeFoo-mode:

(define-file-type-hook ("foo") (buffer type)
   (declare (ignore type))
   (setf (buffer-minor-mode buffer "Foo") t))

: The next line defines the set-up function:

(defun setup-foo-mode (buffer)
   setf (buffer-major-mode buffer) "Lisp")
   let ((pathname (buffer-pathname buffer)))
     unless (and pathname
                (probe-file pathname))
       (insert-string
         (buffer-point buffer)
       #.(format nil ";;; -*- mode :foo -*-~@
                    (in-package foo)~2%")))))

: Now, any files loaded into the Editor with the suffix.foo invoke theFoo minor mode.