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8.2 Major and Minor Modes

There are two kinds of modes, major modes and minor modes. A buffer always has exactly one major mode, but it may have any number of minor modes. Major modes may have mode character attributes while minor modes may not.

A major mode is usually used to change the environment in some major way, such as to install special commands for editing some language. Minor modes generally change some small attribute of the environment, such as whether lines are automatically broken when they get too long. A minor mode should work regardless of what major mode and minor modes are in effect.

Hemlock Variable: Default Modes (initial value ("Fundamental" "Save")) ¶

This variable contains a list of mode names which are instantiated in a buffer when no other information is available.

Variable: *mode-names* ¶

Holds a string-table of the names of all the modes.

Command: Illegal ¶

This is a useful command to bind in modes that wish to shadow global bindings by making them effectively illegal. Also, although less likely, minor modes may shadow major mode bindings with this. This command calls editor-error.