Creating and Deleting Buffer-Local Bindings
-------------------------------------------
- Command: make-local-variable variable
This function creates a buffer-local binding in the current buffer
for VARIABLE (a symbol). Other buffers are not affected. The
value returned is VARIABLE.
The buffer-local value of VARIABLE starts out as the same value
VARIABLE previously had. If VARIABLE was void, it remains void.
;; In buffer `b1':
(setq foo 5) ; Affects all buffers.
=> 5
(make-local-variable 'foo) ; Now it is local in `b1'.
=> foo
foo ; That did not change
=> 5 ; the value.
(setq foo 6) ; Change the value
=> 6 ; in `b1'.
foo
=> 6
;; In buffer `b2', the value hasn't changed.
(save-excursion
(set-buffer "b2")
foo)
=> 5
Making a variable buffer-local within a `let'-binding for that
variable does not work reliably, unless the buffer in which you do
this is not current either on entry to or exit from the `let'.
This is because `let' does not distinguish between different kinds
of bindings; it knows only which variable the binding was made for.
If the variable is terminal-local, this function signals an error.
Such variables cannot have buffer-local bindings as well. Note:Multiple Displays.
*Note:* Do not use `make-local-variable' for a hook variable.
Instead, use `make-local-hook'. Note:Hooks.
- Command: make-variable-buffer-local variable
This function marks VARIABLE (a symbol) automatically
buffer-local, so that any subsequent attempt to set it will make it
local to the current buffer at the time.
A peculiar wrinkle of this feature is that binding the variable
(with `let' or other binding constructs) does not create a
buffer-local binding for it. Only setting the variable (with
`set' or `setq') does so.
The value returned is VARIABLE.
*Warning:* Don't assume that you should use
`make-variable-buffer-local' for user-option variables, simply
because users _might_ want to customize them differently in
different buffers. Users can make any variable local, when they
wish to. It is better to leave the choice to them.
The time to use `make-variable-buffer-local' is when it is crucial
that no two buffers ever share the same binding. For example,
when a variable is used for internal purposes in a Lisp program
which depends on having separate values in separate buffers, then
using `make-variable-buffer-local' can be the best solution.
- Function: local-variable-p variable &optional buffer
This returns `t' if VARIABLE is buffer-local in buffer BUFFER
(which defaults to the current buffer); otherwise, `nil'.
- Function: buffer-local-variables &optional buffer
This function returns a list describing the buffer-local variables
in buffer BUFFER. (If BUFFER is omitted, the current buffer is
used.) It returns an association list (Note:Association Lists)
in which each element contains one buffer-local variable and its
value. However, when a variable's buffer-local binding in BUFFER
is void, then the variable appears directly in the resulting list.
(make-local-variable 'foobar)
(makunbound 'foobar)
(make-local-variable 'bind-me)
(setq bind-me 69)
(setq lcl (buffer-local-variables))
;; First, built-in variables local in all buffers:
=> ((mark-active . nil)
(buffer-undo-list . nil)
(mode-name . "Fundamental")
...
;; Next, non-built-in buffer-local variables.
;; This one is buffer-local and void:
foobar
;; This one is buffer-local and nonvoid:
(bind-me . 69))
Note that storing new values into the CDRs of cons cells in this
list does _not_ change the buffer-local values of the variables.
- Command: kill-local-variable variable
This function deletes the buffer-local binding (if any) for
VARIABLE (a symbol) in the current buffer. As a result, the
default binding of VARIABLE becomes visible in this buffer. This
typically results in a change in the value of VARIABLE, since the
default value is usually different from the buffer-local value just
eliminated.
If you kill the buffer-local binding of a variable that
automatically becomes buffer-local when set, this makes the
default value visible in the current buffer. However, if you set
the variable again, that will once again create a buffer-local
binding for it.
`kill-local-variable' returns VARIABLE.
This function is a command because it is sometimes useful to kill
one buffer-local variable interactively, just as it is useful to
create buffer-local variables interactively.
- Function: kill-all-local-variables
This function eliminates all the buffer-local variable bindings of
the current buffer except for variables marked as "permanent". As
a result, the buffer will see the default values of most variables.
This function also resets certain other information pertaining to
the buffer: it sets the local keymap to `nil', the syntax table to
the value of `(standard-syntax-table)', the case table to
`(standard-case-table)', and the abbrev table to the value of
`fundamental-mode-abbrev-table'.
The very first thing this function does is run the normal hook
`change-major-mode-hook' (see below).
Every major mode command begins by calling this function, which
has the effect of switching to Fundamental mode and erasing most
of the effects of the previous major mode. To ensure that this
does its job, the variables that major modes set should not be
marked permanent.
`kill-all-local-variables' returns `nil'.
- Variable: change-major-mode-hook
The function `kill-all-local-variables' runs this normal hook
before it does anything else. This gives major modes a way to
arrange for something special to be done if the user switches to a
different major mode. For best results, make this variable
buffer-local, so that it will disappear after doing its job and
will not interfere with the subsequent major mode. Note:Hooks.
A buffer-local variable is "permanent" if the variable name (a
symbol) has a `permanent-local' property that is non-`nil'. Permanent
locals are appropriate for data pertaining to where the file came from
or how to save it, rather than with how to edit the contents.