Blogs

This page documents weblog mode, accessible via the "weblog-mode" Emacs command.

When you set a file to weblog mode, the auto-fill submode is automatically turned on. If you don't like this, change the code. I really really like this to be automatic.

Weblog mode inherits from HTML mode. Hence all of HTML mode's commands are available. Even though you are editing ".txt" files, they are really HTML, so HTML mode makes the most sense. Trust me.

You should rarely if ever need to explicitly use the weblog-mode command, since ".txt" files in a weblog directory will be set to weblog mode automagically.

The following commands are available in weblog mode. Key bindings are included in parentheses. "M-" means that the meta key ("Alt" on Windoze systems or an "Esc" prefix) is pressed along with the following key. "C-" means that the control key is pressed along with the following key. "C-M-" means that both the control and meta keys are pressed along with the following key.

weblog-insert-source-key (M-])
Inserts the text "[{@}]", which is a shortcut between square brackets, and positions the cursor to type the shortcut name. I use this to link to sources of my stories.

weblog-insert-shortcut (M-})
Inserts the text "{@}", which is the macro for a shortcut, and positions the cursor to type the shortcut name.

weblog-insert-comment (M-!)
Inserts the text "<!---->" and positions the cursor in the middle of the four dashes. A comment on the first line is how you tell BlogMax the title of your stories, accessible via the {title} macro.

weblog-yank-link (C-M-a)
Insert a new link in the text with the last killed text (or copied from another application) as the url for the "href" section of the tag. For example, if I selected "http://billstclair.com/" in my web browser and copied the text, then moved back to an Emacs page in weblog mode and typed C-M-a, the following text would be inserted:

<a href="http://billstclair.com/">
</a>

weblog-yank-blockquote (C-M-u)
Insert a blockquote section containing the most recently killed text. For example, if I select "BlogMax Rocks!" in this web page and copy it to the clipboard, then type C-M-u in a weblog mode Emacs page, the following appears:

<blockquote>
BlogMax Rocks!
</blockquote>

weblog-save-both (C-x C-s)
This patches the usual save buffer key binding. It saves the file just as C-x C-s normally would, and then generates HTML for ".txt" files. Even if the file doesn't need saving it generates HTML. Sometimes you want to do this because you changed a template or a shortcut.

weblog-upload (C-x M-s)
This saves the selected buffer, generates and uploads HTML if it is a ".txt" file, and then uploads the selected buffer itself. "Upload" here means that it copies the file to the *weblog-ftp-directory* as specified via the "ftp-directory" parameter in the "weblog.ini" file. If the file is the most recent day file, the rss.xml file is also generated and uploaded.

weblog-upload-index (C-x C-i)
Generates the top-level "index.html" file from the last *weblog-index-days* day files as specified via the "index-days" parameter in the "weblog.ini" file. With a prefix arg of zero (C-0 C-x C-i), generates and uploads the HTML for all the days in this month. You need to do this once per day if your day pages have calendars. It's smart about regenerating last month on the first page of the month. With a prefix arg of two (C-2 C-x C-i), it generates and uploads the HTML for all the days in the current buffer's directory and sub-directories. This is useful after you change a template. Any other value of the prefix arg (except 1) will generate and upload the index file. Get used to using minus one here (C-- C-1). I promise I won't change that one, though I may add other prefix args above 2.

weblog-add-shortcut (C-x C-a)
Adds a shortcut to the "shortcuts.el" file and the *weblog-shortcuts* alist in memory. Queries you for the name of the shortcut and the shortcut itself. If you start the shortcut itself with an equal signe ("="), that text exactly will replace the shortcut. Otherwise, the shortcut itself is interpreted as the url for a link and the name becomes the underlined text.

Examples from this site's shortcuts.el:

Add Shortcut Named: gnugpl
URL: =<a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html">GNU General Public License</a>

Now {@gnugpl} becomes <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html">GNU General Public License</a>

Add Shortcut Named: PayPal
URL: http://www.paypal.com/

Now {@paypal} becomes <a href="http://www.paypal.com/">PayPal</a>.

Case does not matter when you invoke a shortcut, but the name's case is remembered when you create a shortcut based on a URL.

weblog-reload-shortcuts
Reloads the "shortcuts.el" file for the weblog directory of the current buffer. This is useful after you edit that file "by hand".

weblog-month-index
Generate the month index page for this day's month. This page is automatically generated by weblog-upload-index if the "month-index" flag is true in weblog.ini.

Weblog Day Files | Contents | Templates