GNU Info

(elisp)Documentation

---

Next: Files Prev: Modes Up: Top

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Documentation
*************

   GNU Emacs Lisp has convenient on-line help facilities, most of which
derive their information from the documentation strings associated with
functions and variables.  This chapter describes how to write good
documentation strings for your Lisp programs, as well as how to write
programs to access documentation.

   Note that the documentation strings for Emacs are not the same thing
as the Emacs manual.  Manuals have their own source files, written in
the Texinfo language; documentation strings are specified in the
definitions of the functions and variables they apply to.  A collection
of documentation strings is not sufficient as a manual because a good
manual is not organized in that fashion; it is organized in terms of
topics of discussion.

Documentation Basics

Good style for doc strings.

Where to put them. How Emacs stores them.

Accessing Documentation

How Lisp programs can access doc strings.

Keys in Documentation

Substituting current key bindings.

Describing Characters

Making printable descriptions of

non-printing characters and key sequences.

Help Functions

Subroutines used by Emacs help facilities.