This is m4.info, produced by makeinfo version 4.0 from m4.texinfo.

INFO-DIR-SECTION Programming & development tools
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Gm4: (m4).			A powerful macro processor.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY

   This file documents the GNU `m4' utility.

   Copyright (C) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software
Foundation, Inc.

   Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of
this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that
the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
permission notice identical to this one.

   Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this
manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified
versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a
translation approved by the Foundation.


File: m4.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Preliminaries,  Prev: (dir),  Up: (dir)

GNU `m4'
********

   GNU `m4' is an implementation of the traditional UNIX macro
processor.  It is mostly SVR4 compatible, although it has some
extensions (for example, handling more than 9 positional parameters to
macros).  `m4' also has builtin functions for including files, running
shell commands, doing arithmetic, etc.  Autoconf needs GNU `m4' for
generating `configure' scripts, but not for running them.

   GNU `m4' was originally written by Rene' Seindal, with subsequent
changes by Franc,ois Pinard and other volunteers on the Internet.  All
names and email addresses can be found in the file `THANKS' from the
GNU `m4' distribution.

   This is release 1.4.  It is now to be considered stable, future
releases are only meant to fix bugs, increase speed, or improve
documentation.  However...

   An experimental feature, which would improve `m4' usefulness, allows
for changing the syntax for what is a "word" in `m4'.  You should use:
     ./configure --enable-changeword

if you want this feature compiled in.  The current implementation slows
down `m4' considerably and is hardly acceptable.  So, it might go away,
do not count on it yet.

* Menu:

* Preliminaries::               Introduction and preliminaries
* Syntax::                      Lexical and syntactic conventions

* Macros::                      How to invoke macros
* Definitions::                 How to define new macros
* Conditionals::                Conditionals and loops

* Debugging::                   How to debug macros and input

* Input Control::               Input control
* File Inclusion::              File inclusion
* Diversions::                  Diverting and undiverting output

* Text handling::               Macros for text handling
* Arithmetic::                  Macros for doing arithmetic
* UNIX commands::               Macros for running UNIX commands
* Miscellaneous::               Miscellaneous builtin macros
* Frozen files::                Fast loading of frozen states

* Compatibility::               Compatibility with other versions of m4
* Concept index::               Index for many concepts
* Macro index::                 Index for all m4 macros

 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---

Introduction and preliminaries

* Intro::                       Introduction to `m4'
* History::                     Historical references

* Invoking m4::                 Invoking `m4'
* Bugs::                        Problems and bugs
* Manual::                      Using this manual

Lexical and syntactic conventions

* Names::                       Macro names
* Quoted strings::              Quoting input to m4
* Other tokens::                Other kinds of input tokens
* Comments::                    Comments in m4 input

How to invoke macros

* Invocation::                  Macro invocation
* Inhibiting Invocation::       Preventing macro invocation
* Macro Arguments::             Macro arguments
* Quoting Arguments::           On Quoting Arguments to macros
* Macro expansion::             Expanding macros

How to define new macros

* Define::                      Defining a new macro
* Arguments::                   Arguments to macros
* Pseudo Arguments::            Pseudo arguments to macros
* Undefine::                    Deleting a macro
* Defn::                        Renaming macros
* Pushdef::                     Temporarily redefining macros

* Indir::                       Indirect call of macros
* Builtin::                     Indirect call of builtins

Conditionals, loops and recursion

* Ifdef::                       Testing if a macro is defined
* Ifelse::                      If-else construct, or multibranch
* Loops::                       Loops and recursion in m4

How to debug macros and input

* Dumpdef::                     Displaying macro definitions
* Trace::                       Tracing macro calls
* Debug Levels::                Controlling debugging output
* Debug Output::                Saving debugging output

Input control

* Dnl::                         Deleting whitespace in input
* Changequote::                 Changing the quote characters
* Changecom::                   Changing the comment delimiters
* Changeword::                  Changing the lexical structure of words
* M4wrap::                      Saving input until end of input

File inclusion

* Include::                     Including named files
* Search Path::                 Searching for include files

Diverting and undiverting output

* Divert::                      Diverting output
* Undivert::                    Undiverting output
* Divnum::                      Diversion numbers
* Cleardiv::                    Discarding diverted text

Macros for text handling

* Len::                         Calculating length of strings
* Index::                       Searching for substrings
* Regexp::                      Searching for regular expressions
* Substr::                      Extracting substrings
* Translit::                    Translating characters
* Patsubst::                    Substituting text by regular expression
* Format::                      Formatting strings (printf-like)

Macros for doing arithmetic

* Incr::                        Decrement and increment operators
* Eval::                        Evaluating integer expressions

Running UNIX commands

* Syscmd::                      Executing simple commands
* Esyscmd::                     Reading the output of commands
* Sysval::                      Exit codes
* Maketemp::                    Making names for temporary files

Miscellaneous builtin macros

* Errprint::                    Printing error messages
* M4exit::                      Exiting from m4

Compatibility with other versions of `m4'

* Extensions::                  Extensions in GNU m4
* Incompatibilities::           Facilities in System V m4 not in GNU m4
* Other Incompat::              Other incompatibilities


File: m4.info,  Node: Preliminaries,  Next: Syntax,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

Introduction and preliminaries
******************************

   This first chapter explains what is GNU `m4', where `m4' comes from,
how to read and use this documentation, how to call the `m4' program
and how to report bugs about it.  It concludes by giving tips for
reading the remainder of the manual.

   The following chapters then detail all the features of the `m4'
language.

* Menu:

* Intro::                       Introduction to `m4'
* History::                     Historical references
* Invoking m4::                 Invoking `m4'
* Bugs::                        Problems and bugs
* Manual::                      Using this manual


File: m4.info,  Node: Intro,  Next: History,  Prev: Preliminaries,  Up: Preliminaries

Introduction to `m4'
====================

   `m4' is a macro processor, in the sense that it copies its input to
the output, expanding macros as it goes.  Macros are either builtin or
user-defined, and can take any number of arguments.  Besides just doing
macro expansion, `m4' has builtin functions for including named files,
running UNIX commands, doing integer arithmetic, manipulating text in
various ways, recursion, etc...  `m4' can be used either as a front-end
to a compiler, or as a macro processor in its own right.

   The `m4' macro processor is widely available on all UNIXes.
Usually, only a small percentage of users are aware of its existence.
However, those who do often become commited users.  The growing
popularity of GNU Autoconf, which prerequires GNU `m4' for _generating_
the `configure' scripts, is an incentive for many to install it, while
these people will not themselves program in `m4'.  GNU `m4' is mostly
compatible with the System V, Release 3 version, except for some minor
differences.  *Note Compatibility:: for more details.

   Some people found `m4' to be fairly addictive.  They first use `m4'
for simple problems, then take bigger and bigger challenges, learning
how to write complex `m4' sets of macros along the way.  Once really
addicted, users pursue writing of sophisticated `m4' applications even
to solve simple problems, devoting more time debugging their `m4'
scripts than doing real work.  Beware that `m4' may be dangerous for
the health of compulsive programmers.


File: m4.info,  Node: History,  Next: Invoking m4,  Prev: Intro,  Up: Preliminaries

Historical references
=====================

   The historical notes included here are fairly incomplete, and not
authoritative at all.  Please knowledgeable users help us to more
properly write this section.

   `GPM' has been an important ancestor of `m4'.  See C. Stratchey: "A
General Purpose Macro generator", Computer Journal 8,3 (1965), pp. 225
ff.  `GPM' is also succintly described into David Gries classic
"Compiler Construction for Digital Computers".

   While `GPM' was _pure_, `m4' was meant to deal more with the true
intricacies of real life: macros could be recognized with being
pre-announced, skipping whitespace or end-of-lines was made easier,
more constructs were builtin instead of derived, etc.

   Originally, `m4' was the engine for Rational FORTRAN preprocessor,
that is, the `ratfor' equivalent of `cpp'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Invoking m4,  Next: Bugs,  Prev: History,  Up: Preliminaries

Invoking `m4'
=============

   The format of the `m4' command is:

     `m4' [OPTION...] [MACRO-DEFINITIONS...] [INPUT-FILE...]

   All options begin with `-', or if long option names are used, with a
`--'.  A long option name need not be written completely, and
unambigous prefix is sufficient.  `m4' understands the following
options:

`--version'
     Print the version number of the program on standard output, then
     immediately exit `m4' without reading any INPUT-FILES.

`--help'
     Print an help summary on standard output, then immediately exit
     `m4' without reading any INPUT-FILES.

`-G'
`--traditional'
     Suppress all the extensions made in this implementation, compared
     to the System V version.  *Note Compatibility::, for a list of
     these.

`-E'
`--fatal-warnings'
     Stop execution and exit `m4' once the first warning has been
     issued, considering all of them to be fatal.

`-dFLAGS'
`--debug=FLAGS'
     Set the debug-level according to the flags FLAGS.  The debug-level
     controls the format and amount of information presented by the
     debugging functions.  *Note Debug Levels:: for more details on the
     format and meaning of FLAGS.

`-lNUM'
`--arglength=NUM'
     Restrict the size of the output generated by macro tracing.  *Note
     Debug Levels:: for more details.

`-oFILE'
`--error-output=FILE'
     Redirect debug and trace output to the named file.  Error messages
     are still printed on the standard error output.  *Note Debug
     Output:: for more details.

`-IDIR'
`--include=DIR'
     Make `m4' search DIR for included files that are not found in the
     current working directory.  *Note Search Path:: for more details.

`-e'
`--interactive'
     Makes this invocation of `m4' interactive.  This means that all
     output will be unbuffered, and interrupts will be ignored.

`-s'
`--synclines'
     Generate synchronisation lines, for use by the C preprocessor or
     other similar tools.  This is useful, for example, when `m4' is
     used as a front end to a compiler.  Source file name and line
     number information is conveyed by directives of the form `#line
     LINENUM "FILENAME"', which are inserted as needed into the middle
     of the input.  Such directives mean that the following line
     originated or was expanded from the contents of input file
     FILENAME at line LINENUM.  The `"FILENAME"' part is often omitted
     when the file name did not change from the previous directive.

     Synchronisation directives are always given on complete lines per
     themselves.  When a synchronisation discrepancy occurs in the
     middle of an output line, the associated synchronisation directive
     is delayed until the beginning of the next generated line.

`-P'
`--prefix-builtins'
     Internally modify _all_ builtin macro names so they all start with
     the prefix `m4_'.  For example, using this option, one should write
     `m4_define' instead of `define', and `m4___file__' instead of
     `__file__'.

`-WREGEXP'
`--word-regexp=REGEXP'
     Use an alternative syntax for macro names.  This experimental
     option might not be present on all GNU `m4' implementations.
     (*note Changeword::).

`-HN'
`--hashsize=N'
     Make the internal hash table for symbol lookup be N entries big.
     The number should be prime.  The default is 509 entries.  It
     should not be necessary to increase this value, unless you define
     an excessive number of macros.

`-LN'
`--nesting-limit=N'
     Artificially limit the nesting of macro calls to N levels,
     stopping program execution if this limit is ever exceeded.  When
     not specified, nesting is limited to 250 levels.

     The precise effect of this option might be more correctly
     associated with textual nesting than dynamic recursion.  It has
     been useful when some complex `m4' input was generated by
     mechanical means.  Most users would never need this option.  If
     shown to be obtrusive, this option (which is still experimental)
     might well disappear.

     This option does _not_ have the ability to break endless
     rescanning loops, while these do not necessarily consume much
     memory or stack space.  Through clever usage of rescanning loops,
     one can request complex, time-consuming computations to `m4' with
     useful results.  Putting limitations in this area would break `m4'
     power.  There are many pathological cases: `define(`a', `a')a' is
     only the simplest example (but *note Compatibility::).  Expecting
     GNU `m4' to detect these would be a little like expecting a
     compiler system to detect and diagnose endless loops: it is a
     quite _hard_ problem in general, if not undecidable!

`-Q'
`--quiet'
`--silent'
     Suppress warnings about missing or superflous arguments in macro
     calls.

`-B'
`-S'
`-T'
     These options are present for compatibility with System V `m4', but
     do nothing in this implementation.

`-NN'
`--diversions=N'
     These options are present only for compatibility with previous
     versions of GNU `m4', and were controlling the number of possible
     diversions which could be used at the same time.  They do nothing,
     because there is no fixed limit anymore.

   Macro definitions and deletions can be made on the command line, by
using the `-D' and `-U' options.  They have the following format:

`-DNAME'
`-DNAME=VALUE'
`--define=NAME'
`--define=NAME=VALUE'
     This enters NAME into the symbol table, before any input files are
     read.  If `=VALUE' is missing, the value is taken to be the empty
     string.  The VALUE can be any string, and the macro can be defined
     to take arguments, just as if it was defined from within the input.

`-UNAME'
`--undefine=NAME'
     This deletes any predefined meaning NAME might have.  Obviously,
     only predefined macros can be deleted in this way.

`-tNAME'
`--trace=NAME'
     This enters NAME into the symbol table, as undefined but traced.
     The macro will consequently be traced from the point it is defined.

`-FFILE'
`--freeze-state FILE'
     Once execution is finished, write out the frozen state on the
     specified FILE (*note Frozen files::).

`-RFILE'
`--reload-state FILE'
     Before execution starts, recover the internal state from the
     specified frozen FILE (*note Frozen files::).

   The remaining arguments on the command line are taken to be input
file names.  If no names are present, the standard input is read.  A
file name of `-' is taken to mean the standard input.

   The input files are read in the sequence given.  The standard input
can only be read once, so the filename `-' should only appear once on
the command line.


File: m4.info,  Node: Bugs,  Next: Manual,  Prev: Invoking m4,  Up: Preliminaries

Problems and bugs
=================

   If you have problems with GNU `m4' or think you've found a bug,
please report it.  Before reporting a bug, make sure you've actually
found a real bug.  Carefully reread the documentation and see if it
really says you can do what you're trying to do.  If it's not clear
whether you should be able to do something or not, report that too; it's
a bug in the documentation!

   Before reporting a bug or trying to fix it yourself, try to isolate
it to the smallest possible input file that reproduces the problem.
Then send us the input file and the exact results `m4' gave you.  Also
say what you expected to occur; this will help us decide whether the
problem was really in the documentation.

   Once you've got a precise problem, send e-mail to (Internet)
`bug-gnu-utils@prep.ai.mit.edu' or (UUCP)
`mit-eddie!prep.ai.mit.edu!bug-gnu-utils'.  Please include the version
number of `m4' you are using.  You can get this information with the
command `m4 --version'.

   Non-bug suggestions are always welcome as well.  If you have
questions about things that are unclear in the documentation or are
just obscure features, please report them too.


File: m4.info,  Node: Manual,  Prev: Bugs,  Up: Preliminaries

Using this manual
=================

   This manual contains a number of examples of `m4' input and output,
and a simple notation is used to distinguish input, output and error
messages from `m4'.  Examples are set out from the normal text, and
shown in a fixed width font, like this

     This is an example of an example!

   To distinguish input from output, all output from `m4' is prefixed
by the string `=>', and all error messages by the string `error-->'.
Thus

     Example of input line
     =>Output line from m4
     error-->and an error message

   As each of the predefined macros in `m4' is described, a prototype
call of the macro will be shown, giving descriptive names to the
arguments, e.g.,

     regexp(STRING, REGEXP, opt REPLACEMENT)

   All macro arguments in `m4' are strings, but some are given special
interpretation, e.g., as numbers, filenames, regular expressions, etc.

   The `opt' before the third argument shows that this argument is
optional--if it is left out, it is taken to be the empty string.  An
ellipsis (`...') last in the argument list indicates that any number of
arguments may follow.

   This document consistently writes and uses "builtin", without an
hyphen, as if it were an English word.  This is how the `builtin'
primitive is spelled within `m4'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Syntax,  Next: Macros,  Prev: Preliminaries,  Up: Top

Lexical and syntactic conventions
*********************************

   As `m4' reads its input, it separates it into "tokens".  A token is
either a name, a quoted string, or any single character, that is not a
part of either a name or a string.  Input to `m4' can also contain
comments.

* Menu:

* Names::                       Macro names
* Quoted strings::              Quoting input to m4
* Other tokens::                Other kinds of input tokens
* Comments::                    Comments in m4 input


File: m4.info,  Node: Names,  Next: Quoted strings,  Prev: Syntax,  Up: Syntax

Names
=====

   A name is any sequence of letters, digits, and the character `_'
(underscore), where the first character is not a digit.  If a name has
a macro definition, it will be subject to macro expansion (*note
Macros::).

   Examples of legal names are: `foo', `_tmp', and `name01'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Quoted strings,  Next: Other tokens,  Prev: Names,  Up: Syntax

Quoted strings
==============

   A quoted string is a sequence of characters surrounded by the quotes
``' and `'', where the number of start and end quotes within the string
balances.  The value of a string token is the text, with one level of
quotes stripped off.  Thus

     `'

   is the empty string, and

     ``quoted''

   is the string

     `quoted'

   The quote characters can be changed at any time, using the builtin
macro `changequote'.  *Note Changequote:: for more information.


File: m4.info,  Node: Other tokens,  Next: Comments,  Prev: Quoted strings,  Up: Syntax

Other tokens
============

   Any character, that is neither a part of a name, nor of a quoted
string, is a token by itself.


File: m4.info,  Node: Comments,  Prev: Other tokens,  Up: Syntax

Comments
========

   Comments in `m4' are normally delimited by the characters `#' and
newline.  All characters between the comment delimiters are ignored,
but the entire comment (including the delimiters) is passed through to
the output--comments are _not_ discarded by `m4'.

   Comments cannot be nested, so the first newline after a `#' ends the
comment.  The commenting effect of the begin comment character can be
inhibited by quoting it.

   The comment delimiters can be changed to any string at any time,
using the builtin macro `changecom'.  *Note Changecom:: for more
information.


File: m4.info,  Node: Macros,  Next: Definitions,  Prev: Syntax,  Up: Top

How to invoke macros
********************

   This chapter covers macro invocation, macro arguments and how macro
expansion is treated.

* Menu:

* Invocation::                  Macro invocation
* Inhibiting Invocation::       Preventing macro invocation
* Macro Arguments::             Macro arguments
* Quoting Arguments::           On Quoting Arguments to macros
* Macro expansion::             Expanding macros


File: m4.info,  Node: Invocation,  Next: Inhibiting Invocation,  Prev: Macros,  Up: Macros

Macro invocation
================

   Macro invocations has one of the forms

     name

which is a macro invocation without any arguments, or

     name(arg1, arg2, ..., argN)

which is a macro invocation with N arguments.  Macros can have any
number of arguments.  All arguments are strings, but different macros
might interpret the arguments in different ways.

   The opening parenthesis _must_ follow the NAME directly, with no
spaces in between.  If it does not, the macro is called with no
arguments at all.

   For a macro call to have no arguments, the parentheses _must_ be
left out.  The macro call

     name()

is a macro call with one argument, which is the empty string, not a call
with no arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Inhibiting Invocation,  Next: Macro Arguments,  Prev: Invocation,  Up: Macros

Preventing macro invocation
===========================

   An innovation of the `m4' language, compared to some of its
predecessors (like Stratchey's `GPM', for example), is the ability to
recognize macro calls without resorting to any special, prefixed
invocation character.  While generally useful, this feature might
sometimes be the source of spurious, unwanted macro calls.  So, GNU
`m4' offers several mechanisms or techniques for inhibiting the
recognition of names as macro calls.

   First of all, many builtin macros cannot meaningfully be called
without arguments.  For any of these macros, whenever an opening
parenthesis does not immediately follow their name, the builtin macro
call is not triggered.  This solves the most usual cases, like for
`include' or `eval'.  Later in this document, the sentence "This macro
is recognized only when given arguments" refers to this specific
provision.

   There is also a command call option (`--prefix-builtins', or `-P')
which requires all builtin macro names to be prefixed by `m4_' for them
to be recognized.  The option has no effect whatsoever on user defined
macros.  For example, with this option, one has to write `m4_dnl' and
even `m4_m4exit'.

   If your version of GNU `m4' has the `changeword' feature compiled
in, there it offers far more flexibility in specifying the syntax of
macro names, both builtin or user-defined.  *Note Changeword:: for more
information on this experimental feature.

   Of course, the simplest way to prevent a name to be interpreted as a
call to an existing macro is to quote it.  The remainder of this
section studies a little more deeply how quoting affects macro
invocation, and how quoting can be used to inhibit macro invocation.

   Even if quoting is usually done over the whole macro name, it can
also be done over only a few characters of this name.  It is also
possible to quote the empty string, but this works only _inside_ the
name.  For example:

     `divert'
     `d'ivert
     di`ver't
     div`'ert

all yield the string `divert'.  While in both:

     `'divert
     divert`'

the `divert' builtin macro will be called.

   The output of macro evaluations is always rescanned.  The following
example would yield the string `de', exactly as if `m4' has been given
`substr(abcde, 3, 2)' as input:

     define(`x', `substr(ab')
     define(`y', `cde, 3, 2)')
     x`'y

   Unquoted strings on either side of a quoted string are subject to
being recognized as macro names.  In the following example, quoting the
empty string allows for the `dnl' macro to be recognized as such:

     define(`macro', `di$1')
     macro(v)`'dnl

Without the quotes, this would rather yield the string `divdnl'
followed by an end of line.

   Quoting may prevent recognizing as a macro name the concatenation of
a macro expansion with the surrounding characters.  In this example:

     define(`macro', `di$1')
     macro(v)`ert'

the input will produce the string `divert'.  If the quote was removed,
the `divert' builtin would be called instead.


File: m4.info,  Node: Macro Arguments,  Next: Quoting Arguments,  Prev: Inhibiting Invocation,  Up: Macros

Macro arguments
===============

   When a name is seen, and it has a macro definition, it will be
expanded as a macro.

   If the name is followed by an opening parenthesis, the arguments
will be collected before the macro is called.  If too few arguments are
supplied, the missing arguments are taken to be the empty string.  If
there are too many arguments, the excess arguments are ignored.

   Normally `m4' will issue warnings if a builtin macro is called with
an inappropriate number of arguments, but it can be suppressed with the
`-Q' command line option.  For user defined macros, there is no check
of the number of arguments given.

   Macros are expanded normally during argument collection, and whatever
commas, quotes and parentheses that might show up in the resulting
expanded text will serve to define the arguments as well.  Thus, if FOO
expands to `, b, c', the macro call

     bar(a foo, d)

   is a macro call with four arguments, which are `a ', `b', `c' and
`d'.  To understand why the first argument contains whitespace,
remember that leading unquoted whitespace is never part of an argument,
but trailing whitespace always is.


File: m4.info,  Node: Quoting Arguments,  Next: Macro expansion,  Prev: Macro Arguments,  Up: Macros

Quoting macro arguments
=======================

   Each argument has leading unquoted whitespace removed.  Within each
argument, all unquoted parentheses must match.  For example, if FOO is
a macro,

     foo(() (`(') `(')

   is a macro call, with one argument, whose value is `() (() ('.

   It is common practice to quote all arguments to macros, unless you
are sure you want the arguments expanded.  Thus, in the above example
with the parentheses, the `right' way to do it is like this:

     foo(`() (() (')

   It is, however, in certain cases necessary to leave out quotes for
some arguments, and there is nothing wrong in doing it.  It just makes
life a bit harder, if you are not careful.


File: m4.info,  Node: Macro expansion,  Prev: Quoting Arguments,  Up: Macros

Macro expansion
===============

   When the arguments, if any, to a macro call have been collected, the
macro is expanded, and the expansion text is pushed back onto the input
(unquoted), and reread.  The expansion text from one macro call might
therefore result in more macros being called, if the calls are included,
completely or partially, in the first macro calls' expansion.

   Taking a very simple example, if FOO expands to `bar', and BAR
expands to `Hello world', the input

     foo

will expand first to `bar', and when this is reread and expanded, into
`Hello world'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Definitions,  Next: Conditionals,  Prev: Macros,  Up: Top

How to define new macros
************************

   Macros can be defined, redefined and deleted in several different
ways.  Also, it is possible to redefine a macro, without losing a
previous value, which can be brought back at a later time.

* Menu:

* Define::                      Defining a new macro
* Arguments::                   Arguments to macros
* Pseudo Arguments::            Pseudo arguments to macros
* Undefine::                    Deleting a macro
* Defn::                        Renaming macros
* Pushdef::                     Temporarily redefining macros

* Indir::                       Indirect call of macros
* Builtin::                     Indirect call of builtins


File: m4.info,  Node: Define,  Next: Arguments,  Prev: Definitions,  Up: Definitions

Defining a macro
================

   The normal way to define or redefine macros is to use the builtin
`define':

     define(NAME [, EXPANSION])

which defines NAME to expand to EXPANSION.  If EXPANSION is not given,
it is taken to be empty.

   The expansion of `define' is void.

   The following example defines the macro FOO to expand to the text
`Hello World.'.

     define(`foo', `Hello world.')
     =>
     foo
     =>Hello world.

   The empty line in the output is there because the newline is not a
part of the macro definition, and it is consequently copied to the
output.  This can be avoided by use of the macro `dnl'.  *Note Dnl::,
for details.

   The macro `define' is recognized only with parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Arguments,  Next: Pseudo Arguments,  Prev: Define,  Up: Definitions

Arguments to macros
===================

   Macros can have arguments.  The Nth argument is denoted by `$n' in
the expansion text, and is replaced by the Nth actual argument, when
the macro is expanded.  Here is a example of a macro with two
arguments.  It simply exchanges the order of the two arguments.

     define(`exch', `$2, $1')
     =>
     exch(arg1, arg2)
     =>arg2, arg1

   This can be used, for example, if you like the arguments to `define'
to be reversed.

     define(`exch', `$2, $1')
     =>
     define(exch(``expansion text'', ``macro''))
     =>
     macro
     =>expansion text

   *Note Quoting Arguments::, for an explanation of the double quotes.

   GNU `m4' allows the number following the `$' to consist of one or
more digits, allowing macros to have any number of arguments.  This is
not so in UNIX implementations of `m4', which only recognize one digit.

   As a special case, the zero'th argument, `$0', is always the name of
the macro being expanded.

     define(`test', ``Macro name: $0'')
     =>
     test
     =>Macro name: test

   If you want quoted text to appear as part of the expansion text,
remember that quotes can be nested in quoted strings.  Thus, in

     define(`foo', `This is macro `foo'.')
     =>
     foo
     =>This is macro foo.

The `foo' in the expansion text is _not_ expanded, since it is a quoted
string, and not a name.


File: m4.info,  Node: Pseudo Arguments,  Next: Undefine,  Prev: Arguments,  Up: Definitions

Special arguments to macros
===========================

   There is a special notation for the number of actual arguments
supplied, and for all the actual arguments.

   The number of actual arguments in a macro call is denoted by `$#' in
the expansion text.  Thus, a macro to display the number of arguments
given can be

     define(`nargs', `$#')
     =>
     nargs
     =>0
     nargs()
     =>1
     nargs(arg1, arg2, arg3)
     =>3

   The notation `$*' can be used in the expansion text to denote all
the actual arguments, unquoted, with commas in between.  For example

     define(`echo', `$*')
     =>
     echo(arg1,    arg2, arg3 , arg4)
     =>arg1,arg2,arg3 ,arg4

   Often each argument should be quoted, and the notation `$@' handles
that.  It is just like `$*', except that it quotes each argument.  A
simple example of that is:

     define(`echo', `$@')
     =>
     echo(arg1,    arg2, arg3 , arg4)
     =>arg1,arg2,arg3 ,arg4

   Where did the quotes go?  Of course, they were eaten, when the
expanded text were reread by `m4'.  To show the difference, try

     define(`echo1', `$*')
     =>
     define(`echo2', `$@')
     =>
     define(`foo', `This is macro `foo'.')
     =>
     echo1(foo)
     =>This is macro This is macro foo..
     echo2(foo)
     =>This is macro foo.

*Note Trace::, if you do not understand this.

   A `$' sign in the expansion text, that is not followed by anything
`m4' understands, is simply copied to the macro expansion, as any other
text is.

     define(`foo', `$$$ hello $$$')
     =>
     foo
     =>$$$ hello $$$

   If you want a macro to expand to something like `$12', put a pair of
quotes after the `$'.  This will prevent `m4' from interpreting the `$'
sign as a reference to an argument.


File: m4.info,  Node: Undefine,  Next: Defn,  Prev: Pseudo Arguments,  Up: Definitions

Deleting a macro
================

   A macro definition can be removed with `undefine':

     undefine(NAME)

which removes the macro NAME.  The macro name must necessarily be
quoted, since it will be expanded otherwise.

   The expansion of `undefine' is void.

     foo
     =>foo
     define(`foo', `expansion text')
     =>
     foo
     =>expansion text
     undefine(`foo')
     =>
     foo
     =>foo

   It is not an error for NAME to have no macro definition.  In that
case, `undefine' does nothing.

   The macro `undefine' is recognized only with parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Defn,  Next: Pushdef,  Prev: Undefine,  Up: Definitions

Renaming macros
===============

   It is possible to rename an already defined macro.  To do this, you
need the builtin `defn':

     defn(NAME)

which expands to the _quoted definition_ of NAME.  If the argument is
not a defined macro, the expansion is void.

   If NAME is a user-defined macro, the quoted definition is simply the
quoted expansion text.  If, instead, NAME is a builtin, the expansion
is a special token, which points to the builtin's internal definition.
This token is only meaningful as the second argument to `define' (and
`pushdef'), and is ignored in any other context.

   Its normal use is best understood through an example, which shows
how to rename `undefine' to `zap':

     define(`zap', defn(`undefine'))
     =>
     zap(`undefine')
     =>
     undefine(`zap')
     =>undefine(zap)

   In this way, `defn' can be used to copy macro definitions, and also
definitions of builtin macros.  Even if the original macro is removed,
the other name can still be used to access the definition.

   The macro `defn' is recognized only with parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Pushdef,  Next: Indir,  Prev: Defn,  Up: Definitions

Temporarily redefining macros
=============================

   It is possible to redefine a macro temporarily, reverting to the
previous definition at a later time.  This is done with the builtins
`pushdef' and `popdef':

     pushdef(NAME [, EXPANSION])
     popdef(NAME)

which are quite analogous to `define' and `undefine'.

   These macros work in a stack-like fashion.  A macro is temporarily
redefined with `pushdef', which replaces an existing definition of
NAME, while saving the previous definition, before the new one is
installed.  If there is no previous definition, `pushdef' behaves
exactly like `define'.

   If a macro has several definitions (of which only one is accessible),
the topmost definition can be removed with `popdef'.  If there is no
previous definition, `popdef' behaves like `undefine'.

     define(`foo', `Expansion one.')
     =>
     foo
     =>Expansion one.
     pushdef(`foo', `Expansion two.')
     =>
     foo
     =>Expansion two.
     popdef(`foo')
     =>
     foo
     =>Expansion one.
     popdef(`foo')
     =>
     foo
     =>foo

   If a macro with several definitions is redefined with `define', the
topmost definition is _replaced_ with the new definition.  If it is
removed with `undefine', _all_ the definitions are removed, and not
only the topmost one.

     define(`foo', `Expansion one.')
     =>
     foo
     =>Expansion one.
     pushdef(`foo', `Expansion two.')
     =>
     foo
     =>Expansion two.
     define(`foo', `Second expansion two.')
     =>
     foo
     =>Second expansion two.
     undefine(`foo')
     =>
     foo
     =>foo

   It is possible to temporarily redefine a builtin with `pushdef' and
`defn'.

   The macros `pushdef' and `popdef' are recognized only with
parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Indir,  Next: Builtin,  Prev: Pushdef,  Up: Definitions

Indirect call of macros
=======================

   Any macro can be called indirectly with `indir':

     indir(NAME, ...)

which results in a call to the macro NAME, which is passed the rest of
the arguments.  This can be used to call macros with "illegal" names
(`define' allows such names to be defined):

     define(`$$internal$macro', `Internal macro (name `$0')')
     =>
     $$internal$macro
     =>$$internal$macro
     indir(`$$internal$macro')
     =>Internal macro (name $$internal$macro)

   The point is, here, that larger macro packages can have private
macros defined, that will not be called by accident.  They can _only_ be
called through the builtin `indir'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Builtin,  Prev: Indir,  Up: Definitions

Indirect call of builtins
=========================

   Builtin macros can be called indirectly with `builtin':

     builtin(NAME, ...)

which results in a call to the builtin NAME, which is passed the rest
of the arguments.  This can be used, if NAME has been given another
definition that has covered the original.

   The macro `builtin' is recognized only with parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Conditionals,  Next: Debugging,  Prev: Definitions,  Up: Top

Conditionals, loops and recursion
*********************************

   Macros, expanding to plain text, perhaps with arguments, are not
quite enough.  We would like to have macros expand to different things,
based on decisions taken at run-time.  E.g., we need some kind of
conditionals.  Also, we would like to have some kind of loop construct,
so we could do something a number of times, or while some condition is
true.

* Menu:

* Ifdef::                       Testing if a macro is defined
* Ifelse::                      If-else construct, or multibranch
* Loops::                       Loops and recursion in m4


File: m4.info,  Node: Ifdef,  Next: Ifelse,  Prev: Conditionals,  Up: Conditionals

Testing macro definitions
=========================

   There are two different builtin conditionals in `m4'.  The first is
`ifdef':

     ifdef(NAME, STRING-1, opt STRING-2)

which makes it possible to test whether a macro is defined or not.  If
NAME is defined as a macro, `ifdef' expands to STRING-1, otherwise to
STRING-2.  If STRING-2 is omitted, it is taken to be the empty string
(according to the normal rules).

     ifdef(`foo', ``foo' is defined', ``foo' is not defined')
     =>foo is not defined
     define(`foo', `')
     =>
     ifdef(`foo', ``foo' is defined', ``foo' is not defined')
     =>foo is defined

   The macro `ifdef' is recognized only with parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Ifelse,  Next: Loops,  Prev: Ifdef,  Up: Conditionals

Comparing strings
=================

   The other conditional, `ifelse', is much more powerful.  It can be
used as a way to introduce a long comment, as an if-else construct, or
as a multibranch, depending on the number of arguments supplied:

     ifelse(COMMENT)
     ifelse(STRING-1, STRING-2, EQUAL, opt NOT-EQUAL)
     ifelse(STRING-1, STRING-2, EQUAL, ...)

Used with only one argument, the `ifelse' simply discards it and
produces no output.  This is a common `m4' idiom for introducing a
block comment, as an alternative to repeatedly using `dnl'.  This
special usage is recognized by GNU `m4', so that in this case, the
warning about missing arguments is never triggered.

   If called with three or four arguments, `ifelse' expands into EQUAL,
if STRING-1 and STRING-2 are equal (character for character), otherwise
it expands to NOT-EQUAL.

     ifelse(foo, bar, `true')
     =>
     ifelse(foo, foo, `true')
     =>true
     ifelse(foo, bar, `true', `false')
     =>false
     ifelse(foo, foo, `true', `false')
     =>true

   However, `ifelse' can take more than four arguments.  If given more
than four arguments, `ifelse' works like a `case' or `switch' statement
in traditional programming languages.  If STRING-1 and STRING-2 are
equal, `ifelse' expands into EQUAL, otherwise the procedure is repeated
with the first three arguments discarded.  This calls for an example:

     ifelse(foo, bar, `third', gnu, gnats, `sixth', `seventh')
     =>seventh

   Naturally, the normal case will be slightly more advanced than these
examples.  A common use of `ifelse' is in macros implementing loops of
various kinds.

   The macro `ifelse' is recognized only with parameters.


File: m4.info,  Node: Loops,  Prev: Ifelse,  Up: Conditionals

Loops and recursion
===================

   There is no direct support for loops in `m4', but macros can be
recursive.  There is no limit on the number of recursion levels, other
than those enforced by your hardware and operating system.

   Loops can be programmed using recursion and the conditionals
described previously.

   There is a builtin macro, `shift', which can, among other things, be
used for iterating through the actual arguments to a macro:

     shift(...)

It takes any number of arguments, and expands to all but the first
argument, separated by commas, with each argument quoted.

     shift(bar)
     =>
     shift(foo, bar, baz)
     =>bar,baz

   An example of the use of `shift' is this macro, which reverses the
order of its arguments:

     define(`reverse', `ifelse($#, 0, , $#, 1, ``$1'',
     			  `reverse(shift($@)), `$1'')')
     =>
     reverse
     =>
     reverse(foo)
     =>foo
     reverse(foo, bar, gnats, and gnus)
     =>and gnus, gnats, bar, foo

   While not a very interesting macro, it does show how simple loops
can be made with `shift', `ifelse' and recursion.

   Here is an example of a loop macro that implements a simple forloop.
It can, for example, be used for simple counting:

     forloop(`i', 1, 8, `i ')
     =>1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

   The arguments are a name for the iteration variable, the starting
value, the final value, and the text to be expanded for each iteration.
With this macro, the macro `i' is defined only within the loop.  After
the loop, it retains whatever value it might have had before.

   For-loops can be nested, like

     forloop(`i', 1, 4, `forloop(`j', 1, 8, `(i, j) ')
     ')
     =>(1, 1) (1, 2) (1, 3) (1, 4) (1, 5) (1, 6) (1, 7) (1, 8)
     =>(2, 1) (2, 2) (2, 3) (2, 4) (2, 5) (2, 6) (2, 7) (2, 8)
     =>(3, 1) (3, 2) (3, 3) (3, 4) (3, 5) (3, 6) (3, 7) (3, 8)
     =>(4, 1) (4, 2) (4, 3) (4, 4) (4, 5) (4, 6) (4, 7) (4, 8)
     =>

   The implementation of the `forloop' macro is fairly straightforward.
The `forloop' macro itself is simply a wrapper, which saves the
previous definition of the first argument, calls the internal macro
`_forloop', and re-establishes the saved definition of the first
argument.

   The macro `_forloop' expands the fourth argument once, and tests to
see if it is finished.  If it has not finished, it increments the
iteration variable (using the predefined macro `incr', *note Incr::),
and recurses.

   Here is the actual implementation of `forloop':

     define(`forloop',
            `pushdef(`$1', `$2')_forloop(`$1', `$2', `$3', `$4')popdef(`$1')')
     define(`_forloop',
            `$4`'ifelse($1, `$3', ,
     		   `define(`$1', incr($1))_forloop(`$1', `$2', `$3', `$4')')')

   Notice the careful use of quotes.  Only three macro arguments are
unquoted, each for its own reason.  Try to find out _why_ these three
arguments are left unquoted, and see what happens if they are quoted.

   Now, even though these two macros are useful, they are still not
robust enough for general use. They lack even basic error handling of
cases like start value less than final value, and the first argument
not being a name.  Correcting these errors are left as an exercise to
the reader.


File: m4.info,  Node: Debugging,  Next: Input Control,  Prev: Conditionals,  Up: Top

How to debug macros and input
*****************************

   When writing macros for `m4', most of the time they woould not work
as intended (as is the case with most programming languages).  There is
a little support for macro debugging in `m4'.

* Menu:

* Dumpdef::                     Displaying macro definitions
* Trace::                       Tracing macro calls
* Debug Levels::                Controlling debugging output
* Debug Output::                Saving debugging output


File: m4.info,  Node: Dumpdef,  Next: Trace,  Prev: Debugging,  Up: Debugging

Displaying macro definitions
============================

   If you want to see what a name expands into, you can use the builtin
`dumpdef':

     dumpdef(...)

which accepts any number of arguments.  If called without any arguments,
it displays the definitions of all known names, otherwise it displays
the definitions of the names given.  The output is printed directly on
the standard error output.

   The expansion of `dumpdef' is void.

     define(`foo', `Hello world.')
     =>
     dumpdef(`foo')
     error-->foo:	`Hello world.'
     =>
     dumpdef(`define')
     error-->define:	<define>
     =>

   The last example shows how builtin macros definitions are displayed.

   *Note Debug Levels:: for information on controlling the details of
the display.


File: m4.info,  Node: Trace,  Next: Debug Levels,  Prev: Dumpdef,  Up: Debugging

Tracing macro calls
===================

   It is possible to trace macro calls and expansions through the
builtins `traceon' and `traceoff':

     traceon(...)
     traceoff(...)

When called without any arguments, `traceon' and `traceoff' will turn
tracing on and off, respectively,  for all defined macros.  When called
with arguments, only the named macros are affected.

   The expansion of `traceon' and `traceoff' is void.

   Whenever a traced macro is called and the arguments have been
collected, the call is displayed.  If the expansion of the macro call
is not void, the expansion can be displayed after the call.  The output
is printed directly on the standard error output.

     define(`foo', `Hello World.')
     =>
     define(`echo', `$@')
     =>
     traceon(`foo', `echo')
     =>
     foo
     error-->m4trace: -1- foo -> `Hello World.'
     =>Hello World.
     echo(gnus, and gnats)
     error-->m4trace: -1- echo(`gnus', `and gnats') -> ``gnus',`and gnats''
     =>gnus,and gnats

   The number between dashes is the depth of the expansion.  It is one
most of the time, signifying an expansion at the outermost level, but it
increases when macro arguments contain unquoted macro calls.

   *Note Debug Levels:: for information on controlling the details of
the display.


File: m4.info,  Node: Debug Levels,  Next: Debug Output,  Prev: Trace,  Up: Debugging

Controlling debugging output
============================

   The `-d' option to `m4' controls the amount of details presented,
when using the macros described in the preceding sections.

   The FLAGS following the option can be one or more of the following:

`t'
     Trace all macro calls made in this invocation of `m4'.

`a'
     Show the actual arguments in each macro call.  This applies to all
     macro calls if the `t' flag is used, otherwise only the macros
     covered by calls of `traceon'.

`e'
     Show the expansion of each macro call, if it is not void.  This
     applies to all macro calls if the `t' flag is used, otherwise only
     the macros covered by calls of `traceon'.

`q'
     Quote actual arguments and macro expansions in the display with the
     current quotes.

`c'
     Show several trace lines for each macro call.  A line is shown
     when the macro is seen, but before the arguments are collected; a
     second line when the arguments have been collected and a third
     line after the call has completed.

`x'
     Add a unique `macro call id' to each line of the trace output.
     This is useful in connection with the `c' flag above.

`f'
     Show the name of the current input file in each trace output line.

`l'
     Show the the current input line number in each trace output line.

`p'
     Print a message when a named file is found through the path search
     mecanism (*note Search Path::), giving the actual filename used.

`i'
     Print a message each time the current input file is changed,
     giving file name and input line number.

`V'
     A shorthand for all of the above flags.

   If no flags are specified with the `-d' option, the default is
`aeq'. The examples in the previous two sections assumed the default
flags.

   There is a builtin macro `debugmode', which allows on-the-fly
control of the debugging output format:

     debugmode(opt FLAGS)

The argument FLAGS should be a subset of the letters listed above.  As
special cases, if the argument starts with a `+', the flags are added
to the current debug flags, and if it starts with a `-', they are
removed.  If no argument is present, the debugging flags are set to
zero (as if no `-d' was given), and with an empty argument the flags
are reset to the default.


File: m4.info,  Node: Debug Output,  Prev: Debug Levels,  Up: Debugging

Saving debugging output
=======================

   Debug and tracing output can be redirected to files using either the
`-o' option to `m4', or with the builtin macro `debugfile':

     debugfile(opt FILENAME)

will send all further debug and trace output to FILENAME.  If FILENAME
is empty, debug and trace output are discarded and if `debugfile' is
called without any arguments, debug and trace output are sent to the
standard error output.


File: m4.info,  Node: Input Control,  Next: File Inclusion,  Prev: Debugging,  Up: Top

Input control
*************

   This chapter describes various builtin macros for controlling the
input to `m4'.

* Menu:

* Dnl::                         Deleting whitespace in input
* Changequote::                 Changing the quote characters
* Changecom::                   Changing the comment delimiters
* Changeword::                  Changing the lexical structure of words
* M4wrap::                      Saving input until end of input


File: m4.info,  Node: Dnl,  Next: Changequote,  Prev: Input Control,  Up: Input Control

Deleting whitespace in input
============================

   The builtin `dnl' reads and discards all characters, up to and
including the first newline:

     dnl

and it is often used in connection with `define', to remove the newline
that follow the call to `define'.  Thus

     define(`foo', `Macro `foo'.')dnl A very simple macro, indeed.
     foo
     =>Macro foo.

   The input up to and including the next newline is discarded, as
opposed to the way comments are treated (*note Comments::).

   Usually, `dnl' is immediately followed by an end of line or some
other whitespace.  GNU `m4' will produce a warning diagnostic if `dnl'
is followed by an open parenthesis.  In this case, `dnl' will collect
and process all arguments, looking for a matching close parenthesis.
All predictable side effects resulting from this collection will take
place.  `dnl' will return no output.  The input following the matching
close parenthesis up to and including the next newline, on whatever
line containing it, will still be discarded.


File: m4.info,  Node: Changequote,  Next: Changecom,  Prev: Dnl,  Up: Input Control

Changing the quote characters
=============================

   The default quote delimiters can be changed with the builtin
`changequote':

     changequote(opt START, opt END)

where START is the new start-quote delimiter and END is the new
end-quote delimiter.  If any of the arguments are missing, the default
quotes (``' and `'') are used instead of the void arguments.

   The expansion of `changequote' is void.

     changequote([, ])
     =>
     define([foo], [Macro [foo].])
     =>
     foo
     =>Macro foo.

   If no single character is appropriate, START and END can be of any
length.

     changequote([[, ]])
     =>
     define([[foo]], [[Macro [[[foo]]].]])
     =>
     foo
     =>Macro [foo].

   Changing the quotes to the empty strings will effectively disable the
quoting mechanism, leaving no way to quote text.

     define(`foo', `Macro `FOO'.')
     =>
     changequote(, )
     =>
     foo
     =>Macro `FOO'.
     `foo'
     =>`Macro `FOO'.'

   There is no way in `m4' to quote a string containing an unmatched
left quote, except using `changequote' to change the current quotes.

   Neither quote string should start with a letter or `_' (underscore),
as they will be confused with names in the input.  Doing so disables
the quoting mechanism.


File: m4.info,  Node: Changecom,  Next: Changeword,  Prev: Changequote,  Up: Input Control

Changing comment delimiters
===========================

   The default comment delimiters can be changed with the builtin macro
`changecom':

     changecom(opt START, opt END)

where START is the new start-comment delimiter and END is the new
end-comment delimiter.  If any of the arguments are void, the default
comment delimiters (`#' and newline) are used instead of the void
arguments.  The comment delimiters can be of any length.

   The expansion of `changecom' is void.

     define(`comment', `COMMENT')
     =>
     # A normal comment
     =># A normal comment
     changecom(`/*', `*/')
     =>
     # Not a comment anymore
     =># Not a COMMENT anymore
     But: /* this is a comment now */ while this is not a comment
     =>But: /* this is a comment now */ while this is not a COMMENT

   Note how comments are copied to the output, much as if they were
quoted strings.  If you want the text inside a comment expanded, quote
the start comment delimiter.

   Calling `changecom' without any arguments disables the commenting
mechanism completely.

     define(`comment', `COMMENT')
     =>
     changecom
     =>
     # Not a comment anymore
     =># Not a COMMENT anymore


File: m4.info,  Node: Changeword,  Next: M4wrap,  Prev: Changecom,  Up: Input Control

Changing the lexical structure of words
=======================================

     The macro `changeword' and all associated functionnality is
     experimental.  It is only available if the `--enable-changeword'
     option was given to `configure', at GNU `m4' installation time.
     The functionnality might change or even go away in the future.
     _Do not rely on it_.  Please direct your comments about it the
     same way you would do for bugs.

   A file being processed by `m4' is split into quoted strings, words
(potential macro names) and simple tokens (any other single character).
Initially a word is defined by the following regular expression:

     [_a-zA-Z][_a-zA-Z0-9]*

   Using `changeword', you can change this regular expression.  Relaxing
`m4''s lexical rules might be useful (for example) if you wanted to
apply translations to a file of numbers:

     changeword(`[_a-zA-Z0-9]+')
     define(1, 0)
     =>1

   Tightening the lexical rules is less useful, because it will
generally make some of the builtins unavailable.  You could use it to
prevent accidental call of builtins, for example:

     define(`_indir', defn(`indir'))
     changeword(`_[_a-zA-Z0-9]*')
     esyscmd(foo)
     _indir(`esyscmd', `ls')

   Because `m4' constructs its words a character at a time, there is a
restriction on the regular expressions that may be passed to
`changeword'.  This is that if your regular expression accepts `foo',
it must also accept `f' and `fo'.

   `changeword' has another function.  If the regular expression
supplied contains any bracketed subexpressions, then text outside the
first of these is discarded before symbol lookup.  So:

     changecom(`/*', `*/')
     changeword(`#\([_a-zA-Z0-9]*\)')
     #esyscmd(ls)

   `m4' now requires a `#' mark at the beginning of every macro
invocation, so one can use `m4' to preprocess shell scripts without
getting `shift' commands swallowed, and plain text without losing
various common words.

   `m4''s macro substitution is based on text, while TeX's is based on
tokens.  `changeword' can throw this difference into relief.  For
example, here is the same idea represented in TeX and `m4'.  First, the
TeX version:

     \def\a{\message{Hello}}
     \catcode`\@=0
     \catcode`\\=12
     =>@a
     =>@bye

Then, the `m4' version:

     define(a, `errprint(`Hello')')
     changeword(`@\([_a-zA-Z0-9]*\)')
     =>@a

   In the TeX example, the first line defines a macro `a' to print the
message `Hello'.  The second line defines <@> to be usable instead of
<\> as an escape character.  The third line defines <\> to be a normal
printing character, not an escape.  The fourth line invokes the macro
`a'.  So, when TeX is run on this file, it displays the message `Hello'.

   When the `m4' example is passed through `m4', it outputs
`errprint(Hello)'.  The reason for this is that TeX does lexical
analysis of macro definition when the macro is _defined_.  `m4' just
stores the text, postponing the lexical analysis until the macro is
_used_.

   You should note that using `changeword' will slow `m4' down by a
factor of about seven.


File: m4.info,  Node: M4wrap,  Prev: Changeword,  Up: Input Control

Saving input
============

   It is possible to `save' some text until the end of the normal input
has been seen.  Text can be saved, to be read again by `m4' when the
normal input has been exhausted.  This feature is normally used to
initiate cleanup actions before normal exit, e.g., deleting temporary
files.

   To save input text, use the builtin `m4wrap':

     m4wrap(STRING, ...)

which stores STRING and the rest of the arguments in a safe place, to
be reread when end of input is reached.

     define(`cleanup', `This is the `cleanup' actions.
     ')
     =>
     m4wrap(`cleanup')
     =>
     This is the first and last normal input line.
     =>This is the first and last normal input line.
     ^D
     =>This is the cleanup actions.

   The saved input is only reread when the end of normal input is seen,
and not if `m4exit' is used to exit `m4'.

   It is safe to call `m4wrap' from saved text, but then the order in
which the saved text is reread is undefined.  If `m4wrap' is not used
recursively, the saved pieces of text are reread in the opposite order
in which they were saved (LIFO--last in, first out).


File: m4.info,  Node: File Inclusion,  Next: Diversions,  Prev: Input Control,  Up: Top

File inclusion
**************

   `m4' allows you to include named files at any point in the input.

* Menu:

* Include::                     Including named files
* Search Path::                 Searching for include files


File: m4.info,  Node: Include,  Next: Search Path,  Prev: File Inclusion,  Up: File Inclusion

Including named files
=====================

   There are two builtin macros in `m4' for including files:

     include(FILENAME)
     sinclude(FILENAME)

both of which cause the file named FILENAME to be read by `m4'.  When
the end of the file is reached, input is resumed from the previous
input file.

   The expansion of `include' and `sinclude' is therefore the contents
of FILENAME.

   It is an error for an `include'd file not to exist.  If you do not
want error messages about non-existent files, `sinclude' can be used to
include a file, if it exists, expanding to nothing if it does not.

     include(`no-such-file')
     =>
     error-->30.include:2: m4: Cannot open no-such-file: No such file or directory
     sinclude(`no-such-file')
     =>

   Assume in the following that the file `incl.m4' contains the lines:
     Include file start
     foo
     Include file end

Normally file inclusion is used to insert the contents of a file into
the input stream.  The contents of the file will be read by `m4' and
macro calls in the file will be expanded:

     define(`foo', `FOO')
     =>
     include(`incl.m4')
     =>Include file start
     =>FOO
     =>Include file end
     =>

   The fact that `include' and `sinclude' expand to the contents of the
file can be used to define macros that operate on entire files.  Here
is an example, which defines `bar' to expand to the contents of
`incl.m4':

     define(`bar', include(`incl.m4'))
     =>
     This is `bar':  >>>bar<<<
     =>This is bar:  >>>Include file start
     =>foo
     =>Include file end
     =><<<

   This use of `include' is not trivial, though, as files can contain
quotes, commas and parentheses, which can interfere with the way the
`m4' parser works.

   The builtin macros `include' and `sinclude' are recognized only when
given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Search Path,  Prev: Include,  Up: File Inclusion

Searching for include files
===========================

   GNU `m4' allows included files to be found in other directories than
the current working directory.

   If a file is not found in the current working directory, and the file
name is not absolute, the file will be looked for in a specified search
path.  First, the directories specified with the `-I' option will be
searched, in the order found on the command line.  Second, if the
`M4PATH' environment variable is set, it is expected to contain a
colon-separated list of directories, which will be searched in order.

   If the automatic search for include-files causes trouble, the `p'
debug flag (*note Debug Levels::) can help isolate the problem.


File: m4.info,  Node: Diversions,  Next: Text handling,  Prev: File Inclusion,  Up: Top

Diverting and undiverting output
********************************

   Diversions are a way of temporarily saving output.  The output of
`m4' can at any time be diverted to a temporary file, and be reinserted
into the output stream, "undiverted", again at a later time.

   Numbered diversions are counted from 0 upwards, diversion number 0
being the normal output stream.  The number of simultaneous diversions
is limited mainly by the memory used to describe them, because GNU `m4'
tries to keep diversions in memory.  However, there is a limit to the
overall memory usable by all diversions taken altogether (512K,
currently).  When this maximum is about to be exceeded, a temporary
file is opened to receive the contents of the biggest diversion still
in memory, freeing this memory for other diversions.  So, it is
theoretically possible that the number of diversions be limited by the
number of available file descriptors.

* Menu:

* Divert::                      Diverting output
* Undivert::                    Undiverting output
* Divnum::                      Diversion numbers
* Cleardiv::                    Discarding diverted text


File: m4.info,  Node: Divert,  Next: Undivert,  Prev: Diversions,  Up: Diversions

Diverting output
================

   Output is diverted using `divert':

     divert(opt NUMBER)

where NUMBER is the diversion to be used.  If NUMBER is left out, it is
assumed to be zero.

   The expansion of `divert' is void.

   When all the `m4' input will have been processed, all existing
diversions are automatically undiverted, in numerical order.

     divert(1)
     This text is diverted.
     divert
     =>
     This text is not diverted.
     =>This text is not diverted.
     ^D
     =>
     =>This text is diverted.

   Several calls of `divert' with the same argument do not overwrite
the previous diverted text, but append to it.

   If output is diverted to a non-existent diversion, it is simply
discarded.  This can be used to suppress unwanted output.  A common
example of unwanted output is the trailing newlines after macro
definitions.  Here is how to avoid them.

     divert(-1)
     define(`foo', `Macro `foo'.')
     define(`bar', `Macro `bar'.')
     divert
     =>

   This is a common programming idiom in `m4'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Undivert,  Next: Divnum,  Prev: Divert,  Up: Diversions

Undiverting output
==================

   Diverted text can be undiverted explicitly using the builtin
`undivert':

     undivert(opt NUMBER, ...)

which undiverts the diversions given by the arguments, in the order
given.  If no arguments are supplied, all diversions are undiverted, in
numerical order.

   The expansion of `undivert' is void.

     divert(1)
     This text is diverted.
     divert
     =>
     This text is not diverted.
     =>This text is not diverted.
     undivert(1)
     =>
     =>This text is diverted.
     =>

   Notice the last two blank lines.  One of them comes from the newline
following `undivert', the other from the newline that followed the
`divert'!  A diversion often starts with a blank line like this.

   When diverted text is undiverted, it is _not_ reread by `m4', but
rather copied directly to the current output, and it is therefore not
an error to undivert into a diversion.

   When a diversion has been undiverted, the diverted text is discarded,
and it is not possible to bring back diverted text more than once.

     divert(1)
     This text is diverted first.
     divert(0)undivert(1)dnl
     =>
     =>This text is diverted first.
     undivert(1)
     =>
     divert(1)
     This text is also diverted but not appended.
     divert(0)undivert(1)dnl
     =>
     =>This text is also diverted but not appended.

   Attempts to undivert the current diversion are silently ignored.

   GNU `m4' allows named files to be undiverted.  Given a non-numeric
argument, the contents of the file named will be copied, uninterpreted,
to the current output.  This complements the builtin `include' (*note
Include::).  To illustrate the difference, assume the file `foo'
contains the word `bar':

     define(`bar', `BAR')
     =>
     undivert(`foo')
     =>bar
     =>
     include(`foo')
     =>BAR
     =>


File: m4.info,  Node: Divnum,  Next: Cleardiv,  Prev: Undivert,  Up: Diversions

Diversion numbers
=================

   The builtin `divnum':

     divnum

expands to the number of the current diversion.

     Initial divnum
     =>Initial 0
     divert(1)
     Diversion one: divnum
     divert(2)
     Diversion two: divnum
     divert
     =>
     ^D
     =>
     =>Diversion one: 1
     =>
     =>Diversion two: 2

   The last call of `divert' without argument is necessary, since the
undiverted text would otherwise be diverted itself.


File: m4.info,  Node: Cleardiv,  Prev: Divnum,  Up: Diversions

Discarding diverted text
========================

   Often it is not known, when output is diverted, whether the diverted
text is actually needed.  Since all non-empty diversion are brought back
on the main output stream when the end of input is seen, a method of
discarding a diversion is needed.  If all diversions should be
discarded, the easiest is to end the input to `m4' with `divert(-1)'
followed by an explicit `undivert':

     divert(1)
     Diversion one: divnum
     divert(2)
     Diversion two: divnum
     divert(-1)
     undivert
     ^D

No output is produced at all.

   Clearing selected diversions can be done with the following macro:

     define(`cleardivert',
     `pushdef(`_num', divnum)divert(-1)undivert($@)divert(_num)popdef(`_num')')
     =>

   It is called just like `undivert', but the effect is to clear the
diversions, given by the arguments.  (This macro has a nasty bug!  You
should try to see if you can find it and correct it.)


File: m4.info,  Node: Text handling,  Next: Arithmetic,  Prev: Diversions,  Up: Top

Macros for text handling
************************

   There are a number of builtins in `m4' for manipulating text in
various ways, extracting substrings, searching, substituting, and so on.

* Menu:

* Len::                         Calculating length of strings
* Index::                       Searching for substrings
* Regexp::                      Searching for regular expressions
* Substr::                      Extracting substrings
* Translit::                    Translating characters
* Patsubst::                    Substituting text by regular expression
* Format::                      Formatting strings (printf-like)


File: m4.info,  Node: Len,  Next: Index,  Prev: Text handling,  Up: Text handling

Calculating length of strings
=============================

   The length of a string can be calculated by `len':

     len(STRING)

which expands to the length of STRING, as a decimal number.

     len()
     =>0
     len(`abcdef')
     =>6

   The builtin macro `len' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Index,  Next: Regexp,  Prev: Len,  Up: Text handling

Searching for substrings
========================

   Searching for substrings is done with `index':

     index(STRING, SUBSTRING)

which expands to the index of the first occurrence of SUBSTRING in
STRING.  The first character in STRING has index 0.  If SUBSTRING does
not occur in STRING, `index' expands to `-1'.

     index(`gnus, gnats, and armadillos', `nat')
     =>7
     index(`gnus, gnats, and armadillos', `dag')
     =>-1

   The builtin macro `index' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Regexp,  Next: Substr,  Prev: Index,  Up: Text handling

Searching for regular expressions
=================================

   Searching for regular expressions is done with the builtin `regexp':

     regexp(STRING, REGEXP, opt REPLACEMENT)

which searches for REGEXP in STRING.  The syntax for regular
expressions is the same as in GNU Emacs.  *Note Syntax of Regular
Expressions: (emacs)Regexps.

   If REPLACEMENT is omitted, `regexp' expands to the index of the
first match of REGEXP in STRING.  If REGEXP does not match anywhere in
STRING, it expands to -1.

     regexp(`GNUs not Unix', `\<[a-z]\w+')
     =>5
     regexp(`GNUs not Unix', `\<Q\w*')
     =>-1

   If REPLACEMENT is supplied, `regexp' changes the expansion to this
argument, with `\N' substituted by the text matched by the Nth
parenthesized sub-expression of REGEXP, `\&' being the text the entire
regular expression matched.

     regexp(`GNUs not Unix', `\w\(\w+\)$', `*** \& *** \1 ***')
     =>*** Unix *** nix ***

   The builtin macro `regexp' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Substr,  Next: Translit,  Prev: Regexp,  Up: Text handling

Extracting substrings
=====================

   Substrings are extracted with `substr':

     substr(STRING, FROM, opt LENGTH)

which expands to the substring of STRING, which starts at index FROM,
and extends for LENGTH characters, or to the end of STRING, if LENGTH
is omitted.  The starting index of a string is always 0.

     substr(`gnus, gnats, and armadillos', 6)
     =>gnats, and armadillos
     substr(`gnus, gnats, and armadillos', 6, 5)
     =>gnats

   The builtin macro `substr' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Translit,  Next: Patsubst,  Prev: Substr,  Up: Text handling

Translating characters
======================

   Character translation is done with `translit':

     translit(STRING, CHARS, REPLACEMENT)

which expands to STRING, with each character that occurs in CHARS
translated into the character from REPLACEMENT with the same index.

   If REPLACEMENT is shorter than CHARS, the excess characters are
deleted from the expansion.  If REPLACEMENT is omitted, all characters
in STRING, that are present in CHARS are deleted from the expansion.

   Both CHARS and REPLACEMENT can contain character-ranges, e.g., `a-z'
(meaning all lowercase letters) or `0-9' (meaning all digits).  To
include a dash `-' in CHARS or REPLACEMENT, place it first or last.

   It is not an error for the last character in the range to be `larger'
than the first.  In that case, the range runs backwards, i.e., `9-0'
means the string `9876543210'.

     translit(`GNUs not Unix', `A-Z')
     =>s not nix
     translit(`GNUs not Unix', `a-z', `A-Z')
     =>GNUS NOT UNIX
     translit(`GNUs not Unix', `A-Z', `z-a')
     =>tmfs not fnix

   The first example deletes all uppercase letters, the second converts
lowercase to uppercase, and the third `mirrors' all uppercase letters,
while converting them to lowercase.  The two first cases are by far the
most common.

   The builtin macro `translit' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Patsubst,  Next: Format,  Prev: Translit,  Up: Text handling

Substituting text by regular expression
=======================================

   Global substitution in a string is done by `patsubst':

     patsubst(STRING, REGEXP, opt REPLACEMENT)

which searches STRING for matches of REGEXP, and substitutes
REPLACEMENT for each match.  The syntax for regular expressions is the
same as in GNU Emacs.

   The parts of STRING that are not covered by any match of REGEXP are
copied to the expansion.  Whenever a match is found, the search
proceeds from the end of the match, so a character from STRING will
never be substituted twice.  If REGEXP matches a string of zero length,
the start position for the search is incremented, to avoid infinite
loops.

   When a replacement is to be made, REPLACEMENT is inserted into the
expansion, with `\N' substituted by the text matched by the Nth
parenthesized sub-expression of REGEXP, `\&' being the text the entire
regular expression matched.

   The REPLACEMENT argument can be omitted, in which case the text
matched by REGEXP is deleted.

     patsubst(`GNUs not Unix', `^', `OBS: ')
     =>OBS: GNUs not Unix
     patsubst(`GNUs not Unix', `\<', `OBS: ')
     =>OBS: GNUs OBS: not OBS: Unix
     patsubst(`GNUs not Unix', `\w*', `(\&)')
     =>(GNUs)() (not)() (Unix)
     patsubst(`GNUs not Unix', `\w+', `(\&)')
     =>(GNUs) (not) (Unix)
     patsubst(`GNUs not Unix', `[A-Z][a-z]+')
     =>GN not

   Here is a slightly more realistic example, which capitalizes
individual word or whole sentences, by substituting calls of the macros
`upcase' and `downcase' into the strings.

     define(`upcase', `translit(`$*', `a-z', `A-Z')')dnl
     define(`downcase', `translit(`$*', `A-Z', `a-z')')dnl
     define(`capitalize1',
          `regexp(`$1', `^\(\w\)\(\w*\)', `upcase(`\1')`'downcase(`\2')')')dnl
     define(`capitalize',
          `patsubst(`$1', `\w+', `capitalize1(`\&')')')dnl
     capitalize(`GNUs not Unix')
     =>Gnus Not Unix

   The builtin macro `patsubst' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Format,  Prev: Patsubst,  Up: Text handling

Formatted output
================

   Formatted output can be made with `format':

     format(FORMAT-STRING, ...)

which works much like the C function `printf'.  The first argument is a
format string, which can contain `%' specifications, and the expansion
of `format' is the formatted string.

   Its use is best described by a few examples:

     define(`foo', `The brown fox jumped over the lazy dog')
     =>
     format(`The string "%s" is %d characters long', foo, len(foo))
     =>The string "The brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" is 38 characters long

   Using the `forloop' macro defined in *Note Loops::, this example
shows how `format' can be used to produce tabular output.

     forloop(`i', 1, 10, `format(`%6d squared is %10d
     ', i, eval(i**2))')
     =>     1 squared is	    1
     =>     2 squared is	    4
     =>     3 squared is	    9
     =>     4 squared is	   16
     =>     5 squared is	   25
     =>     6 squared is	   36
     =>     7 squared is	   49
     =>     8 squared is	   64
     =>     9 squared is	   81
     =>    10 squared is	  100

   The builtin `format' is modeled after the ANSI C `printf' function,
and supports the normal `%' specifiers: `c', `s', `d', `o', `x', `X',
`u', `e', `E' and `f'; it supports field widths and precisions, and the
modifiers `+', `-', ` ', `0', `#', `h' and `l'.  For more details on
the functioning of `printf', see the C Library Manual.


File: m4.info,  Node: Arithmetic,  Next: UNIX commands,  Prev: Text handling,  Up: Top

Macros for doing arithmetic
***************************

   Integer arithmetic is included in `m4', with a C-like syntax.  As
convenient shorthands, there are builtins for simple increment and
decrement operations.

* Menu:

* Incr::                        Decrement and increment operators
* Eval::                        Evaluating integer expressions


File: m4.info,  Node: Incr,  Next: Eval,  Prev: Arithmetic,  Up: Arithmetic

Decrement and increment operators
=================================

   Increment and decrement of integers are supported using the builtins
`incr' and `decr':

     incr(NUMBER)
     decr(NUMBER)

which expand to the numerical value of NUMBER, incremented, or
decremented, respectively, by one.

     incr(4)
     =>5
     decr(7)
     =>6

   The builtin macros `incr' and `decr' are recognized only when given
arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Eval,  Prev: Incr,  Up: Arithmetic

Evaluating integer expressions
==============================

   Integer expressions are evaluated with `eval':

     eval(EXPRESSION, opt RADIX, opt WIDTH)

which expands to the value of EXPRESSION.

   Expressions can contain the following operators, listed in order of
decreasing precedence.

`-'
     Unary minus

`**'
     Exponentiation

`*  /  %'
     Multiplication, division and modulo

`+  -'
     Addition and subtraction

`<<  >>'
     Shift left or right

`==  !=  >  >=  <  <='
     Relational operators

`!'
     Logical negation

`~'
     Bitwise negation

`&'
     Bitwise and

`^'
     Bitwise exclusive-or

`|'
     Bitwise or

`&&'
     Logical and

`||'
     Logical or

   All operators, except exponentiation, are left associative.

   Note that many `m4' implementations use `^' as an alternate operator
for the exponentiation, while many others use `^' for the bitwise
exclusive-or.  GNU `m4' changed its behavior: it used to exponentiate
for `^', it now computes the bitwise exclusive-or.

   Numbers without special prefix are given decimal.  A simple `0'
prefix introduces an octal number.  `0x' introduces an hexadecimal
number.  `0b' introduces a binary number.  `0r' introduces a number
expressed in any radix between 1 and 36: the prefix should be
immediately followed by the decimal expression of the radix, a colon,
then the digits making the number.  For any radix, the digits are `0',
`1', `2', ....  Beyond `9', the digits are `a', `b' ... up to `z'.
Lower and upper case letters can be used interchangeably in numbers
prefixes and as number digits.

   Parentheses may be used to group subexpressions whenever needed.
For the relational operators, a true relation returns `1', and a false
relation return `0'.

   Here are a few examples of use of `eval'.

     eval(-3 * 5)
     =>-15
     eval(index(`Hello world', `llo') >= 0)
     =>1
     define(`square', `eval(($1)**2)')
     =>
     square(9)
     =>81
     square(square(5)+1)
     =>676
     define(`foo', `666')
     =>
     eval(`foo'/6)
     error-->51.eval:14: m4: Bad expression in eval: foo/6
     =>
     eval(foo/6)
     =>111

   As the second to last example shows, `eval' does not handle macro
names, even if they expand to a valid expression (or part of a valid
expression).  Therefore all macros must be expanded before they are
passed to `eval'.

   If RADIX is specified, it specifies the radix to be used in the
expansion.  The default radix is 10.  The result of `eval' is always
taken to be signed.  The WIDTH argument specifies a minimum output
width.  The result is zero-padded to extend the expansion to the
requested width.

     eval(666, 10)
     =>666
     eval(666, 11)
     =>556
     eval(666, 6)
     =>3030
     eval(666, 6, 10)
     =>0000003030
     eval(-666, 6, 10)
     =>-000003030

   Take note that RADIX cannot be larger than 36.

   The builtin macro `eval' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: UNIX commands,  Next: Miscellaneous,  Prev: Arithmetic,  Up: Top

Running UNIX commands
*********************

   There are a few builtin macros in `m4' that allow you to run UNIX
commands from within `m4'.

* Menu:

* Syscmd::                      Executing simple commands
* Esyscmd::                     Reading the output of commands
* Sysval::                      Exit codes
* Maketemp::                    Making names for temporary files


File: m4.info,  Node: Syscmd,  Next: Esyscmd,  Prev: UNIX commands,  Up: UNIX commands

Executing simple commands
=========================

   Any shell command can be executed, using `syscmd':

     syscmd(SHELL-COMMAND)

which executes SHELL-COMMAND as a shell command.

   The expansion of `syscmd' is void, _not_ the output from
SHELL-COMMAND!  Output or error messages from SHELL-COMMAND are not
read by `m4'.  *Note Esyscmd:: if you need to process the command
output.

   Prior to executing the command, `m4' flushes its output buffers.
The default standard input, output and error of SHELL-COMMAND are the
same as those of `m4'.

   The builtin macro `syscmd' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Esyscmd,  Next: Sysval,  Prev: Syscmd,  Up: UNIX commands

Reading the output of commands
==============================

   If you want `m4' to read the output of a UNIX command, use `esyscmd':

     esyscmd(SHELL-COMMAND)

which expands to the standard output of the shell command SHELL-COMMAND.

   Prior to executing the command, `m4' flushes its output buffers.
The default standard input and error output of SHELL-COMMAND are the
same as those of `m4'.  The error output of SHELL-COMMAND is not a part
of the expansion: it will appear along with the error output of `m4'.

   Assume you are positioned into the `checks' directory of GNU `m4'
distribution, then:

     define(`vice', `esyscmd(grep Vice ../COPYING)')
     =>
     vice
     =>  Ty Coon, President of Vice
     =>

   Note how the expansion of `esyscmd' has a trailing newline.

   The builtin macro `esyscmd' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Sysval,  Next: Maketemp,  Prev: Esyscmd,  Up: UNIX commands

Exit codes
==========

   To see whether a shell command succeeded, use `sysval':

     sysval

which expands to the exit status of the last shell command run with
`syscmd' or `esyscmd'.

     syscmd(`false')
     =>
     ifelse(sysval, 0, zero, non-zero)
     =>non-zero
     syscmd(`true')
     =>
     sysval
     =>0


File: m4.info,  Node: Maketemp,  Prev: Sysval,  Up: UNIX commands

Making names for temporary files
================================

   Commands specified to `syscmd' or `esyscmd' might need a temporary
file, for output or for some other purpose.  There is a builtin macro,
`maketemp', for making temporary file names:

     maketemp(TEMPLATE)

which expands to a name of a non-existent file, made from the string
TEMPLATE, which should end with the string `XXXXXX'.  The six `X''s are
then replaced, usually with something that includes the process id of
the `m4' process, in order to make the filename unique.

     maketemp(`/tmp/fooXXXXXX')
     =>/tmp/fooa07346
     maketemp(`/tmp/fooXXXXXX')
     =>/tmp/fooa07346

   As seen in the example, several calls of `maketemp' might expand to
the same string, since the selection criteria is whether the file exists
or not.  If a file has not been created before the next call, the two
macro calls might expand to the same name.

   The builtin macro `maketemp' is recognized only when given arguments.


File: m4.info,  Node: Miscellaneous,  Next: Frozen files,  Prev: UNIX commands,  Up: Top

Miscellaneous builtin macros
****************************

   This chapter describes various builtins, that do not really belong in
any of the previous chapters.

* Menu:

* Errprint::                    Printing error messages
* M4exit::                      Exiting from m4


File: m4.info,  Node: Errprint,  Next: M4exit,  Prev: Miscellaneous,  Up: Miscellaneous

Printing error messages
=======================

   You can print error messages using `errprint':

     errprint(MESSAGE, ...)

which simply prints MESSAGE and the rest of the arguments on the
standard error output.

   The expansion of `errprint' is void.

     errprint(`Illegal arguments to forloop
     ')
     error-->Illegal arguments to forloop
     =>

   A trailing newline is _not_ printed automatically, so it must be
supplied as part of the argument, as in the example.  (BSD flavored
`m4''s do append a trailing newline on each `errprint' call).

   To make it possible to specify the location of the error, two
utility builtins exist:

     __file__
     __line__

which expands to the quoted name of the current input file, and the
current input line number in that file.

     errprint(`m4:'__file__:__line__: `Input error
     ')
     error-->m4:56.errprint:2: Input error
     =>


File: m4.info,  Node: M4exit,  Prev: Errprint,  Up: Miscellaneous

Exiting from `m4'
=================

   If you need to exit from `m4' before the entire input has been read,
you can use `m4exit':

     m4exit(opt CODE)

which causes `m4' to exit, with exit code CODE.  If CODE is left out,
the exit code is zero.

     define(`fatal_error', `errprint(`m4: '__file__: __line__`: fatal error: $*
     ')m4exit(1)')
     =>
     fatal_error(`This is a BAD one, buster')
     error-->m4: 57.m4exit: 5: fatal error: This is a BAD one, buster

   After this macro call, `m4' will exit with exit code 1.  This macro
is only intended for error exits, since the normal exit procedures are
not followed, e.g., diverted text is not undiverted, and saved text
(*note M4wrap::) is not reread.


File: m4.info,  Node: Frozen files,  Next: Compatibility,  Prev: Miscellaneous,  Up: Top

Fast loading of frozen states
*****************************

   Some bigger `m4' applications may be built over a common base
containing hundreds of definitions and other costly initializations.
Usually, the common base is kept in one or more declarative files,
which files are listed on each `m4' invocation prior to the user's
input file, or else, `include''d from this input file.

   Reading the common base of a big application, over and over again,
may be time consuming.  GNU `m4' offers some machinery to speed up the
start of an application using lengthy common bases.  Presume the user
repeatedly uses:

     m4 base.m4 input.m4

with a varying contents of `input.m4', but a rather fixed contents for
`base.m4'.  Then, the user might rather execute:

     m4 -F base.m4f base.m4

once, and further execute, as often as needed:

     m4 -R base.m4f input.m4

with the varying input.  The first call, containing the `-F' option,
only reads and executes file `base.m4', so defining various application
macros and computing other initializations.  Only once the input file
`base.m4' has been completely processed, GNU `m4' produces on
`base.m4f' a "frozen" file, that is, a file which contains a kind of
snapshot of the `m4' internal state.

   Later calls, containing the `-R' option, are able to reload the
internal state of `m4''s memory, from `base.m4f', _prior_ to reading
any other input files.  By this mean, instead of starting with a virgin
copy of `m4', input will be read after having effectively recovered the
effect of a prior run.  In our example, the effect is the same as if
file `base.m4' has been read anew.  However, this effect is achieved a
lot faster.

   Only one frozen file may be created or read in any one `m4'
invocation.  It is not possible to recover two frozen files at once.
However, frozen files may be updated incrementally, through using `-R'
and `-F' options simultaneously.  For example, if some care is taken,
the command:

     m4 file1.m4 file2.m4 file3.m4 file4.m4

could be broken down in the following sequence, accumulating the same
output:

     m4 -F file1.m4f file1.m4
     m4 -R file1.m4f -F file2.m4f file2.m4
     m4 -R file2.m4f -F file3.m4f file3.m4
     m4 -R file3.m4f file4.m4

   Some care is necessary because not every effort has been made for
this to work in all cases.  In particular, the trace attribute of
macros is not handled, nor the current setting of `changeword'.  Also,
interactions for some options of `m4' being used in one call and not
for the next, have not been fully analyzed yet.  On the other end, you
may be confident that stacks of `pushdef''ed definitions are handled
correctly, so are `undefine''d or renamed builtins, changed strings for
quotes or comments.

   When an `m4' run is to be frozen, the automatic undiversion which
takes place at end of execution is inhibited.  Instead, all positively
numbered diversions are saved into the frozen file.  The active
diversion number is also transmitted.

   A frozen file to be reloaded need not reside in the current
directory.  It is looked up the same way as an `include' file (*note
Search Path::).

   Frozen files are sharable across architectures.  It is safe to write
a frozen file one one machine and read it on another, given that the
second machine uses the same, or a newer version of GNU `m4'.  These
are simple (editable) text files, made up of directives, each starting
with a capital letter and ending with a newline (<NL>).  Wherever a
directive is expected, the character `#' introduces a comment line,
empty lines are also ignored.  In the following descriptions, LENGTHs
always refer to corresponding STRINGs.  Numbers are always expressed in
decimal.  The directives are:

`V NUMBER <NL>'
     Confirms the format of the file.  NUMBER should be 1.

`C LENGTH1 , LENGTH2 <NL> STRING1 STRING2 <NL>'
     Uses STRING1 and STRING2 as the beginning comment and end comment
     strings.

`Q LENGTH1 , LENGTH2 <NL> STRING1 STRING2 <NL>'
     Uses STRING1 and STRING2 as the beginning quote and end quote
     strings.

`F LENGTH1 , LENGTH2 <NL> STRING1 STRING2 <NL>'
     Defines, through `pushdef', a definition for STRING1 expanding to
     the function whose builtin name is STRING2.

`T LENGTH1 , LENGTH2 <NL> STRING1 STRING2 <NL>'
     Defines, though `pushdef', a definition for STRING1 expanding to
     the text given by STRING2.

`D NUMBER, LENGTH <NL> STRING <NL>'
     Selects diversion NUMBER, making it current, then copy STRING in
     the current diversion.  NUMBER may be a negative number for a
     non-existing diversion.  To merely specify an active selection,
     use this command with an empty STRING.  With 0 as the diversion
     NUMBER, STRING will be issued on standard output at reload time,
     however this may not be produced from within `m4'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Compatibility,  Next: Concept index,  Prev: Frozen files,  Up: Top

Compatibility with other versions of `m4'
*****************************************

   This chapter describes the differences between this implementation of
`m4', and the implementation found under UNIX, notably System V,
Release 3.

   There are also differences in BSD flavors of `m4'.  No attempt is
made to summarize these here.

* Menu:

* Extensions::                  Extensions in GNU m4
* Incompatibilities::           Facilities in System V m4 not in GNU m4
* Other Incompat::              Other incompatibilities


File: m4.info,  Node: Extensions,  Next: Incompatibilities,  Prev: Compatibility,  Up: Compatibility

Extensions in GNU `m4'
======================

   This version of `m4' contains a few facilities, that do not exist in
System V `m4'.  These extra facilities are all suppressed by using the
`-G' command line option, unless overridden by other command line
options.

   * In the `$'N notation for macro arguments, N can contain several
     digits, while the System V `m4' only accepts one digit.  This
     allows macros in GNU `m4' to take any number of arguments, and not
     only nine (*note Arguments::).

   * Files included with `include' and `sinclude' are sought in a user
     specified search path, if they are not found in the working
     directory.  The search path is specified by the `-I' option and the
     `M4PATH' environment variable (*note Search Path::).

   * Arguments to `undivert' can be non-numeric, in which case the named
     file will be included uninterpreted in the output (*note
     Undivert::).

   * Formatted output is supported through the `format' builtin, which
     is modeled after the C library function `printf' (*note Format::).

   * Searches and text substitution through regular expressions are
     supported by the `regexp' (*note Regexp::) and `patsubst' (*note
     Patsubst::) builtins.

   * The output of shell commands can be read into `m4' with `esyscmd'
     (*note Esyscmd::).

   * There is indirect access to any builtin macro with `builtin'
     (*note Builtin::).

   * Macros can be called indirectly through `indir' (*note Indir::).

   * The name of the current input file and the current input line
     number are accessible through the builtins `__file__' and
     `__line__' (*note Errprint::).

   * The format of the output from `dumpdef' and macro tracing can be
     controlled with `debugmode' (*note Debug Levels::).

   * The destination of trace and debug output can be controlled with
     `debugfile' (*note Debug Output::).

   In addition to the above extensions, GNU `m4' implements the
following command line options: `-F', `-G', `-I', `-L', `-R', `-V',
`-W', `-d', `-l', `-o' and `-t'.  *Note Invoking m4::, for a
description of these options.

   Also, the debugging and tracing facilities in GNU `m4' are much more
extensive than in most other versions of `m4'.


File: m4.info,  Node: Incompatibilities,  Next: Other Incompat,  Prev: Extensions,  Up: Compatibility

Facilities in System V `m4' not in GNU `m4'
===========================================

   The version of `m4' from System V contains a few facilities that
have not been implemented in GNU `m4' yet.

   * System V `m4' supports multiple arguments to `defn'.  This is not
     implemented in GNU `m4'.  Its usefulness is unclear to me.


File: m4.info,  Node: Other Incompat,  Prev: Incompatibilities,  Up: Compatibility

Other incompatibilities
=======================

   There are a few other incompatibilities between this implementation
of `m4', and the System V version.

   * GNU `m4' implements sync lines differently from System V `m4',
     when text is being diverted.  GNU `m4' outputs the sync lines when
     the text is being diverted, and System V `m4' when the diverted
     text is being brought back.

     The problem is which lines and filenames should be attached to
     text that is being, or has been, diverted.  System V `m4' regards
     all the diverted text as being generated by the source line
     containing the `undivert' call, whereas GNU `m4' regards the
     diverted text as being generated at the time it is diverted.

     I expect the sync line option to be used mostly when using `m4' as
     a front end to a compiler.  If a diverted line causes a compiler
     error, the error messages should most probably refer to the place
     where the diversion were made, and not where it was inserted again.

   * GNU `m4' makes no attempt at prohiting autoreferential definitions
     like:

          define(`x', `x')
          define(`x', `x ')

     There is nothing inherently wrong with defining `x' to return `x'.
     The wrong thing is to expand `x' unquoted.  In `m4', one might
     use macros to hold strings, as we do for variables in other
     programming languages, further checking them with:

          ifelse(defn(`HOLDER'), `VALUE', ...)

     In cases like this one, an interdiction for a macro to hold its own
     name would be a useless limitation.  Of course, this leave more
     rope for the GNU `m4' user to hang himself!  Rescanning hangs may
     be avoided through careful programming, a little like for endless
     loops in traditional programming languages.

   * GNU `m4' without `-G' option will define the macro `__gnu__' to
     expand to the empty string.

     On UNIX systems, GNU `m4' without the `-G' option will define the
     macro `__unix__', otherwise the macro `unix'.  Both will expand to
     the empty string.


File: m4.info,  Node: Concept index,  Next: Macro index,  Prev: Compatibility,  Up: Top

Concept index
*************

* Menu:

* arguments to macros:                   Macro Arguments.
* Arguments to macros:                   Arguments.
* arguments to macros, special:          Pseudo Arguments.
* arguments, quoted macro:               Quoting Arguments.
* arithmetic:                            Arithmetic.
* builtins, indirect call of:            Builtin.
* call of builtins, indirect:            Builtin.
* call of macros, indirect:              Indir.
* changing comment delimiters:           Changecom.
* changing the quote delimiters:         Changequote.
* characters, translating:               Translit.
* command line, filenames on the:        Invoking m4.
* command line, macro definitions on the: Invoking m4.
* command line, options:                 Invoking m4.
* commands, exit code from UNIX:         Sysval.
* commands, running UNIX:                UNIX commands.
* comment delimiters, changing:          Changecom.
* comments:                              Comments.
* comments, copied to output:            Changecom.
* comparing strings:                     Ifelse.
* compatibility:                         Compatibility.
* conditionals:                          Ifdef.
* controlling debugging output:          Debug Levels.
* counting loops:                        Loops.
* debugging output, controlling:         Debug Levels.
* debugging output, saving:              Debug Output.
* decrement operator:                    Incr.
* defining new macros:                   Definitions.
* definitions, displaying macro:         Dumpdef.
* deleting macros:                       Undefine.
* deleting whitespace in input:          Dnl.
* discarding diverted text:              Cleardiv.
* displaying macro definitions:          Dumpdef.
* diversion numbers:                     Divnum.
* diverted text, discarding:             Cleardiv.
* diverting output to files:             Divert.
* dumping into frozen file:              Frozen files.
* error messages, printing:              Errprint.
* evaluation, of integer expressions:    Eval.
* executing UNIX commands:               UNIX commands.
* exit code from UNIX commands:          Sysval.
* exiting from m4:                       M4exit.
* expansion of macros:                   Macro expansion.
* expansion, tracing macro:              Trace.
* expressions, evaluation of integer:    Eval.
* extracting substrings:                 Substr.
* fast loading of frozen files:          Frozen files.
* file inclusion <1>:                    Undivert.
* file inclusion:                        File Inclusion.
* filenames, on the command line:        Invoking m4.
* files, diverting output to:            Divert.
* files, names of temporary:             Maketemp.
* forloops:                              Loops.
* formatted output:                      Format.
* frozen files for fast loading:         Frozen files.
* GNU extensions <1>:                    Undivert.
* GNU extensions <2>:                    Patsubst.
* GNU extensions <3>:                    Extensions.
* GNU extensions <4>:                    Search Path.
* GNU extensions <5>:                    Frozen files.
* GNU extensions <6>:                    Indir.
* GNU extensions <7>:                    Regexp.
* GNU extensions <8>:                    Debug Output.
* GNU extensions <9>:                    Debug Levels.
* GNU extensions <10>:                   Builtin.
* GNU extensions <11>:                   Format.
* GNU extensions <12>:                   Esyscmd.
* GNU extensions:                        Arguments.
* included files, search path for:       Search Path.
* inclusion, of files <1>:               File Inclusion.
* inclusion, of files:                   Undivert.
* increment operator:                    Incr.
* indirect call of builtins:             Builtin.
* indirect call of macros:               Indir.
* initialization, frozen states:         Frozen files.
* input tokens:                          Syntax.
* input, saving:                         M4wrap.
* integer arithmetic:                    Arithmetic.
* integer expression evaluation:         Eval.
* length of strings:                     Len.
* lexical structure of words:            Changeword.
* loops:                                 Loops.
* loops, counting:                       Loops.
* macro definitions, on the command line: Invoking m4.
* macro expansion, tracing:              Trace.
* macro invocation:                      Invocation.
* macros, arguments to <1>:              Arguments.
* macros, arguments to:                  Macro Arguments.
* macros, displaying definitions:        Dumpdef.
* macros, expansion of:                  Macro expansion.
* macros, how to define new:             Definitions.
* macros, how to delete:                 Undefine.
* macros, how to rename:                 Defn.
* macros, indirect call of:              Indir.
* macros, quoted arguments to:           Quoting Arguments.
* macros, recursive:                     Loops.
* macros, special arguments to:          Pseudo Arguments.
* macros, temporary redefinition of:     Pushdef.
* messages, printing error:              Errprint.
* multibranches:                         Ifelse.
* names:                                 Names.
* options, command line:                 Invoking m4.
* output, diverting to files:            Divert.
* output, formatted:                     Format.
* output, saving debugging:              Debug Output.
* pattern substitution:                  Patsubst.
* printing error messages:               Errprint.
* quote delimiters, changing the:        Changequote.
* quoted macro arguments:                Quoting Arguments.
* quoted string:                         Quoted strings.
* recursive macros:                      Loops.
* redefinition of macros, temporary:     Pushdef.
* regular expressions <1>:               Patsubst.
* regular expressions:                   Regexp.
* reloading a frozen file:               Frozen files.
* renaming macros:                       Defn.
* running UNIX commands:                 UNIX commands.
* saving debugging output:               Debug Output.
* saving input:                          M4wrap.
* search path for included files:        Search Path.
* special arguments to macros:           Pseudo Arguments.
* strings, length of:                    Len.
* substitution by regular expression:    Patsubst.
* substrings, extracting:                Substr.
* temporary filenames:                   Maketemp.
* temporary redefinition of macros:      Pushdef.
* tokens:                                Syntax.
* tracing macro expansion:               Trace.
* translating characters:                Translit.
* undefining macros:                     Undefine.
* UNIX commands, exit code from:         Sysval.
* UNIX commands, running:                UNIX commands.
* words, lexical structure of:           Changeword.


File: m4.info,  Node: Macro index,  Prev: Concept index,  Up: Top

Macro index
***********

   References are exclusively to the places where a builtin is
introduced the first time.  Names starting and ending with `__' have
these characters removed in the index.

* Menu:

* builtin:                               Builtin.
* changecom:                             Changecom.
* changequote:                           Changequote.
* changeword:                            Changeword.
* debugfile:                             Debug Output.
* debugmode:                             Debug Levels.
* decr:                                  Incr.
* define:                                Define.
* defn:                                  Defn.
* divert:                                Divert.
* divnum:                                Divnum.
* dnl:                                   Dnl.
* dumpdef:                               Dumpdef.
* errprint:                              Errprint.
* esyscmd:                               Esyscmd.
* eval:                                  Eval.
* file:                                  Errprint.
* format:                                Format.
* gnu:                                   Other Incompat.
* ifdef:                                 Ifdef.
* ifelse:                                Ifelse.
* include:                               Include.
* incr:                                  Incr.
* index:                                 Index.
* indir:                                 Indir.
* len:                                   Len.
* line:                                  Errprint.
* m4exit:                                M4exit.
* m4wrap:                                M4wrap.
* maketemp:                              Maketemp.
* patsubst:                              Patsubst.
* popdef:                                Pushdef.
* pushdef:                               Pushdef.
* regexp:                                Regexp.
* shift:                                 Loops.
* sinclude:                              Include.
* substr:                                Substr.
* syscmd:                                Syscmd.
* sysval:                                Sysval.
* traceoff:                              Trace.
* traceon:                               Trace.
* translit:                              Translit.
* undefine:                              Undefine.
* undivert:                              Undivert.
* unix:                                  Other Incompat.



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