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(elisp)Abbrevs

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Abbrevs and Abbrev Expansion
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   An abbreviation or "abbrev" is a string of characters that may be
expanded to a longer string.  The user can insert the abbrev string and
find it replaced automatically with the expansion of the abbrev.  This
saves typing.

   The set of abbrevs currently in effect is recorded in an "abbrev
table".  Each buffer has a local abbrev table, but normally all buffers
in the same major mode share one abbrev table.  There is also a global
abbrev table.  Normally both are used.

   An abbrev table is represented as an obarray containing a symbol for
each abbreviation.  The symbol's name is the abbreviation; its value is
the expansion; its function definition is the hook function to do the
expansion (Note: Defining Abbrevs); its property list cell contains
the use count, the number of times the abbreviation has been expanded.
Because these symbols are not interned in the usual obarray, they will
never appear as the result of reading a Lisp expression; in fact,
normally they are never used except by the code that handles abbrevs.
Therefore, it is safe to use them in an extremely nonstandard way.
Note: Creating Symbols.

   For the user-level commands for abbrevs, see *Note Abbrev Mode:
(emacs)Abbrevs.

Abbrev Mode

Setting up Emacs for abbreviation.

Tables

Abbrev Tables. Creating and working with abbrev tables.

Defining Abbrevs

Specifying abbreviations and their expansions.

Files

Abbrev Files. Saving abbrevs in files.

Expansion

Abbrev Expansion. Controlling expansion; expansion subroutines.

Standard Abbrev Tables

Abbrev tables used by various major modes.