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(elisp)Properties in Mode

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Properties in the Mode Line
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   Starting in Emacs 21, certain text properties are meaningful in the
mode line.  The `face' property affects the appearance of text; the
`help-echo' property associate help strings with the text, and
`local-map' can make the text mouse-sensitive.

   There are three ways to specify text properties for text in the mode
line:

  1. Put a string with the `local-map' property directly into the
     mode-line data structure.

  2. Put a `local-map' property on a mode-line %-construct such as
     `%12b'; then the expansion of the %-construct will have that same
     text property.

  3. Use a list containing `:eval FORM' in the mode-line data
     structure, and make FORM evaluate to a string that has a
     `local-map' property.

   You use the `local-map' property to specify a keymap.  Like any
keymap, it can bind character keys and function keys; but that has no
effect, since it is impossible to move point into the mode line.  This
keymap can only take real effect for mouse clicks.