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Date: 13 July 1980 22:15-EDT
From: Eugene C. Ciccarelli <ECC at MIT-AI>
Subject:  Word Abbrev mode
To: WORDAB at MIT-AI

Here are some further details on the new WORDAB library, for those who
might be doing lower-than-normal-level hacking:

*  Note that List Word Abbrevs, Insert Word Abbrevs, and Edit Word
   Abbrevs all take string arguments, though the one to Edit Word
   Abbrevs is ignored.  (There just to catch assumptions people make
   from analogy to the others and since it makes sense.  But there are
   problems with its implementation.)

*  A "1," numeric argument to Define Word Abbrevs tells it to kill all
   word abbrevs before defining, but only after ensuring that the
   definition list syntax is ok.

*  Incremental saving should be "truer" -- e.g. abbrevs defined with
   Define Word Abbrevs (and Edit Word Abbrevs which calls it) will
   even be saved in the incremental list.  Word abbrev macros will
   also be saved.  People probably haven't noticed the anomalies
   regarding incremental saving -- at least no one's complained.

*  If anyone cares, the variable QWABL Definitions is gone.

*  Since no one voiced any objections, the Word Abbrev Mode Hook
   variable is gone.  The WORDAB Setup Hook is used to tailor what
   keys get connected.  (Or if you need functionality like the old
   hook, you can replace the variable macro on Word Abbrev Mode,
   currently trivial.)

*  Have lots of abbrevs?  M-X List Word Abbrevs -- it lists abbrevs as
   they are found, rather than building the entire list first, then typing.
   You can also flush the list by typing ahead.  If you want to build
   a kind of lister yourself, note that Insert Word Abbrevs is
   the basic function, and takes a "1," numeric argument telling it to
   list as it goes.

*  If you are interested in providing your own abbrev-saving
   mechanism, note the variable Word Abbrevs Modified.

*  Another new variable is Last Word Abbrev Defined, with the name
   of the abbrev variable.  This is used by Attach Word Abbrev
   Keyboard Macro, and maybe could have other uses.

*  Finally:  not in WORDAB now, but under consideration:  Abbrevs are
   now defined by funny-named variables, e.g. X ab * Abbrev.  I
   would like to have these not be variables any more, but instead
   reside in the q-vector in q-register .E.  Does anyone currently
   depend on abbrevs defined as variables?  E.g. anybody using abbrevs
   that are local variables of a file?

Date: 13 July 1980 22:14-EDT
From: Eugene C. Ciccarelli <ECC at MIT-AI>
Subject:  Word Abbrev mode
To: INFO-EMACS-RECIPIENTS at MIT-AI

There is a new version of the WORDAB library with the following
changes.  This is now installed on AI, soon to move elsewhere.
For details on new commands, see their on-line documentation.

*  M-X Word Abbrev Apropos has been replaced by M-X List Word Abbrevs
   with a string argument.  M-X Insert Word Abbrevs can also take a
   string argument.

*  Keys (C-X C-A, etc.) are connected when the library is loaded, and stay
   connected outside of Word Abbrev mode:  you can define and expand
   manually if the system is too slow for automatic expansion to be
   tolerated.  Also, there is a new command M-X Expand Word Abbrevs in
   Region (queries like M-X Query Replace).

*  New option variable, Save Word Abbrevs, controls whether exiting EMACS
   will cause abbrevs to be saved if necessary.  1 => save all abbrevs
   on exit, -1 => just save incrementals, with default 0.

*  M-X Edit Word Abbrevs lets you re-edit to correct syntax errors.
   The error messages should be clearer too.

*  You can have word abbrev "macros", keyboard macros (or Teco code if
   you prefer) that can be "attached" to normal abbrevs, so that after
   those abbrevs expand, their attached macros are run.  E.g.
   "textmode" could expand to "-*-Text-*-" and then do a M-X Text Mode
   automatically.  Describe M-X Attach Word Abbrev Keyboard Macro for
   details.