22.1.1 Running Hooks

In this section, we document the run-hooks function, which is used to run a normal hook. We also document the functions for running various kinds of abnormal hooks.

Function: run-hooks &rest hookvars

This function takes one or more normal hook variable names as arguments, and runs each hook in turn. Each argument should be a symbol that is a normal hook variable. These arguments are processed in the order specified.

If a hook variable has a non-nil value, that value should be a list of functions. run-hooks calls all the functions, one by one, with no arguments.

The hook variable’s value can also be a single function—either a lambda expression or a symbol with a function definition—which run-hooks calls. But this usage is obsolete.

If the hook variable is buffer-local, the buffer-local variable will be used instead of the global variable. However, if the buffer-local variable contains the element t, the global hook variable will be run as well.

Function: run-hook-with-args hook &rest args

This function runs an abnormal hook by calling all the hook functions in hook, passing each one the arguments args.

Function: run-hook-with-args-until-failure hook &rest args

This function runs an abnormal hook by calling each hook function in turn, stopping if one of them “fails” by returning nil. Each hook function is passed the arguments args. If this function stops because one of the hook functions fails, it returns nil; otherwise it returns a non-nil value.

Function: run-hook-with-args-until-success hook &rest args

This function runs an abnormal hook by calling each hook function, stopping if one of them “succeeds” by returning a non-nil value. Each hook function is passed the arguments args. If this function stops because one of the hook functions returns a non-nil value, it returns that value; otherwise it returns nil.