[sxemacs] / info / lispref / annotations.texi

@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the SXEmacs Lisp Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c Copyright (C) 1995 Ben Wing.
@c Copyright (C) 2005 Sebastian Freundt <hroptatyr@sxemacs.org>
@c See the file lispref.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../../info/annotations.info

@node Annotations, Display, Glyphs, top
@chapter Annotations
@cindex annotation

An @dfn{annotation} is a pixmap or string that is not part of a buffer's
text but is displayed next to a particular location in a buffer.
Annotations can be displayed intermixed with text, in any whitespace at
the beginning or end of a line, or in a special area at the left or
right side of the frame called a @dfn{margin}, whose size is
controllable.  Annotations are implemented using extents
(@pxref{Extents}); but you can work with annotations without knowing how
extents work.

@menu
* Annotation Basics::           Introduction to annotations.
* Annotation Primitives::       Creating and deleting annotations.
* Annotation Properties::       Retrieving and changing the characteristics
                                  of an annotation.
* Margin Primitives::           Controlling the size of the margins.
* Locating Annotations::        Looking for annotations in a buffer.
* Annotation Hooks::            Hooks called at certain times during an
                                  annotation's lifetime.
@end menu

@node Annotation Basics
@section Annotation Basics

@cindex margin
Marginal annotations are notes associated with a particular location in
a buffer.  They may be displayed in a margin created on the left-hand or
right-hand side of the frame, in any whitespace at the beginning or end
of a line, or inside of the text itself.  Every annotation may have an
associated action to be performed when the annotation is selected.  The
term @dfn{annotation} is used to refer to an individual note.  The term
@dfn{margin} is generically used to refer to the whitespace before the
first character on a line or after the last character on a line.

Each annotation has the following characteristics:
@table @var
@item glyph
This is a glyph object and is used as the displayed representation
of the annotation.
@item down-glyph
If given, this glyph is used as the displayed representation
of the annotation when the mouse is pressed down over the annotation.
@item face
The face with which to display the glyph.
@item side
Which side of the text (left or right) the annotation is displayed at.
@item action
If non-@code{nil}, this field must contain a function capable of being
the first argument to @code{funcall}.  This function is normally
evaluated with a single argument, the value of the @var{data} field,
each time the annotation is selected.  However, if the @var{with-event}
parameter to @code{make-annotation} is non-@code{nil}, the function
is called with two arguments.  The first argument is the same as
before, and the second argument is the event (a button-up event,
usually) that activated the annotation.
@item data
Not used internally.  This field can contain any elisp object.  It is
passed as the first argument to @var{action} described above.
@item menu
A menu displayed when the right mouse button is pressed over the
annotation.
@end table

@cindex outside margin
@cindex inside margin
The margin is divided into @dfn{outside} and @dfn{inside}.  The outside
margin is space on the left or right side of the frame which normal text
cannot be displayed in.  The inside margin is that space between the
leftmost or rightmost point at which text can be displayed and where the
first or last character actually is.

@cindex layout types
There are four different @dfn{layout types} which affect the exact
location an annotation appears.

@table @code
@item outside-margin
The annotation is placed in the outside margin area. as close as
possible to the edge of the frame.  If the outside margin is not wide
enough for an annotation to fit, it is not displayed.

@item inside-margin
The annotation is placed in the inside margin area, as close as possible
to the edge of the frame.  If the inside margin is not wide enough for
the annotation to fit, it will be displayed using any available outside
margin space if and only if the specifier @code{use-left-overflow} or
@code{use-right-overflow} (depending on which side the annotation
appears in) is non-@code{nil}.

@item whitespace
The annotation is placed in the inside margin area, as close as possible
to the first or last non-whitespace character on a line.  If the inside
margin is not wide enough for the annotation to fit, it will be
displayed if and only if the specifier @code{use-left-overflow} or
@code{use-right-overflow} (depending on which side the annotation
appears in) is non-@code{nil}.

@item text
The annotation is placed at the position it is inserted.  It will create
enough space for itself inside of the text area.  It does not take up a
place in the logical buffer, only in the display of the buffer.
@end table

@cindex layout policy
The current layout policy is that all @code{whitespace} annotations are
displayed first.  Next, all @code{inside-margin} annotations are
displayed using any remaining space.  Finally as many
@code{outside-margin} annotations are displayed as possible.  The
@code{text} annotations will always display as they create their own
space to display in.


@node Annotation Primitives
@section Annotation Primitives

@defun make-annotation glyph &optional position layout buffer with-event d-glyph rightp
This function creates a marginal annotation at position @var{position} in
@var{buffer}.  The annotation is displayed using @var{glyph}, which
should be a glyph object or a string, and is positioned using layout
policy @var{layout}.  If @var{position} is @code{nil}, point is used.  If
@var{layout} is @code{nil}, @code{whitespace} is used.  If @var{buffer}
is @code{nil}, the current buffer is used.

If @var{with-event} is non-@code{nil}, then when an annotation is
activated, the triggering event is passed as the second arg to the
annotation function.  If @var{d-glyph} is non-@code{nil} then it is used
as the glyph that will be displayed when button1 is down.  If
@var{rightp} is non-@code{nil} then the glyph will be displayed on the
right side of the buffer instead of the left.

The newly created annotation is returned.
@end defun

@defun delete-annotation annotation
This function removes @var{annotation} from its buffer.  This does not
modify the buffer text.
@end defun

@defun annotationp annotation
This function returns @code{t} if @var{annotation} is an annotation,
@code{nil} otherwise.
@end defun

@node Annotation Properties
@section Annotation Properties

@defun annotation-glyph annotation
This function returns the glyph object used to display @var{annotation}.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-glyph annotation glyph &optional layout side
This function sets the glyph of @var{annotation} to @var{glyph}, which
should be a glyph object.  If @var{layout} is non-@code{nil}, set the
layout policy of @var{annotation} to @var{layout}.  If @var{side} is
@code{left} or @code{right}, change the side of the buffer at which the
annotation is displayed to the given side.  The new value of
@code{annotation-glyph} is returned.
@end defun

@defun annotation-down-glyph annotation
This function returns the glyph used to display @var{annotation} when
the left mouse button is depressed on the annotation.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-down-glyph annotation glyph
This function returns the glyph used to display @var{annotation} when
the left mouse button is depressed on the annotation to @var{glyph},
which should be a glyph object.
@end defun

@defun annotation-face annotation
This function returns the face associated with @var{annotation}.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-face annotation face
This function sets the face associated with @var{annotation} to
@var{face}.
@end defun

@defun annotation-layout annotation
This function returns the layout policy of @var{annotation}.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-layout annotation layout
This function sets the layout policy of @var{annotation} to
@var{layout}.
@end defun

@defun annotation-side annotation
This function returns the side of the buffer that @var{annotation} is
displayed on.  Return value is a symbol, either @code{left} or
@code{right}.
@end defun

@defun annotation-data annotation
This function returns the data associated with @var{annotation}.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-data annotation data
This function sets the data field of @var{annotation} to @var{data}.
@var{data} is returned.
@end defun

@defun annotation-action annotation
This function returns the action associated with @var{annotation}.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-action annotation action
This function sets the action field of @var{annotation} to @var{action}.
@var{action} is returned..
@end defun

@defun annotation-menu annotation
This function returns the menu associated with @var{annotation}.
@end defun

@defun set-annotation-menu annotation menu
This function sets the menu associated with @var{annotation} to
@var{menu}.  This menu will be displayed when the right mouse button is
pressed over the annotation.
@end defun

@defun annotation-visible annotation
This function returns @code{t} if there is enough available space to
display @var{annotation}, @code{nil} otherwise.
@end defun

@defun annotation-width annotation
This function returns the width of @var{annotation} in pixels.
@end defun

@defun hide-annotation annotation
This function removes @var{annotation}'s glyph, making it invisible.
@end defun

@defun reveal-annotation annotation
This function restores @var{annotation}'s glyph, making it visible.
@end defun


@node Locating Annotations
@section Locating Annotations

@defun annotations-in-region start end buffer
This function returns a list of all annotations in @var{buffer} which
are between @var{start} and @var{end} inclusively.
@end defun

@defun annotations-at &optional position buffer
This function returns a list of all annotations at @var{position} in
@var{buffer}.  If @var{position} is @code{nil} point is used.  If
@var{buffer} is @code{nil} the current buffer is used.
@end defun

@defun annotation-list &optional buffer
This function returns a list of all annotations in @var{buffer}.  If
@var{buffer} is @code{nil}, the current buffer is used.
@end defun

@defun all-annotations
This function returns a list of all annotations in all buffers in
existence.
@end defun


@node Margin Primitives
@section Margin Primitives
@cindex margin width

The margin widths are controllable on a buffer-local, window-local,
frame-local, device-local, or device-type-local basis through the
use of specifiers.  @xref{Specifiers}.

@defvr Specifier left-margin-width
This is a specifier variable controlling the width of the left outside
margin, in characters.  Use @code{set-specifier} to change its value.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier right-margin-width
This is a specifier variable controlling the width of the right outside
margin, in characters.  Use @code{set-specifier} to change its value.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier use-left-overflow
If non-@code{nil}, use the left outside margin as extra whitespace when
displaying @code{whitespace} and @code{inside-margin} annotations.
Defaults to @code{nil}.  This is a specifier variable; use
@code{set-specifier} to change its value.
@end defvr

@defvr Specifier use-right-overflow
If non-@code{nil}, use the right outside margin as extra whitespace when
displaying @code{whitespace} and @code{inside-margin} annotations.
Defaults to @code{nil}.  This is a specifier variable; use
@code{set-specifier} to change its value.
@end defvr

@defun window-left-margin-pixel-width &optional window
This function returns the width in pixels of the left outside margin of
@var{window}.  If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is
assumed.
@end defun

@defun window-right-margin-pixel-width &optional window
This function returns the width in pixels of the right outside margin of
@var{window}.  If @var{window} is @code{nil}, the selected window is
assumed.
@end defun

The margin colors are controlled by the faces @code{left-margin} and
@code{right-margin}.  These can be set using the X resources
@code{Emacs.left-margin.background} and
@code{Emacs.left-margin.foreground}; likewise for the right margin.


@node Annotation Hooks
@section Annotation Hooks
@cindex annotation hooks

The following three hooks are provided for use with the marginal annotations:

@table @code
@item before-delete-annotation-hook
This hook is called immediately before an annotation is destroyed.  It
is passed a single argument, the annotation being destroyed.

@item after-delete-annotation-hook
This normal hook is called immediately after an annotation is destroyed.

@item make-annotation-hook
This hook is called immediately after an annotation is created.  It is
passed a single argument, the newly created annotation.
@end table