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(elisp)Overview of Markers

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Overview of Markers
===================

   A marker specifies a buffer and a position in that buffer.  The
marker can be used to represent a position in the functions that
require one, just as an integer could be used.  Note: Positions, for
a complete description of positions.

   A marker has two attributes: the marker position, and the marker
buffer.  The marker position is an integer that is equivalent (at a
given time) to the marker as a position in that buffer.  But the
marker's position value can change often during the life of the marker.
Insertion and deletion of text in the buffer relocate the marker.  The
idea is that a marker positioned between two characters remains between
those two characters despite insertion and deletion elsewhere in the
buffer.  Relocation changes the integer equivalent of the marker.

   Deleting text around a marker's position leaves the marker between
the characters immediately before and after the deleted text.  Inserting
text at the position of a marker normally leaves the marker either in
front of or after the new text, depending on the marker's "insertion
type" (Note: Marker Insertion Types)--unless the insertion is done
with `insert-before-markers' (Note: Insertion).

   Insertion and deletion in a buffer must check all the markers and
relocate them if necessary.  This slows processing in a buffer with a
large number of markers.  For this reason, it is a good idea to make a
marker point nowhere if you are sure you don't need it any more.
Unreferenced markers are garbage collected eventually, but until then
will continue to use time if they do point somewhere.

   Because it is common to perform arithmetic operations on a marker
position, most of the arithmetic operations (including `+' and `-')
accept markers as arguments.  In such cases, the marker stands for its
current position.

   Here are examples of creating markers, setting markers, and moving
point to markers:

     ;; Make a new marker that initially does not point anywhere:
     (setq m1 (make-marker))
          => #<marker in no buffer>
     
     ;; Set `m1' to point between the 99th and 100th characters
     ;;   in the current buffer:
     (set-marker m1 100)
          => #<marker at 100 in markers.texi>
     
     ;; Now insert one character at the beginning of the buffer:
     (goto-char (point-min))
          => 1
     (insert "Q")
          => nil
     
     ;; `m1' is updated appropriately.
     m1
          => #<marker at 101 in markers.texi>
     
     ;; Two markers that point to the same position
     ;;   are not `eq', but they are `equal'.
     (setq m2 (copy-marker m1))
          => #<marker at 101 in markers.texi>
     (eq m1 m2)
          => nil
     (equal m1 m2)
          => t
     
     ;; When you are finished using a marker, make it point nowhere.
     (set-marker m1 nil)
          => #<marker in no buffer>