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I'm implementing a (optional, de-activable) real-time syntax checker. Each time the user types/deletes anything, I want to run my spell-checking funtion :

I tried (add-hook 'post-self-insert-hook 'syntax-check-continuous) but now even when I type in the minibuffer, the function is run.

What would be the good practice for that? An advice after an insert function? An (add-to-list 'before-change-functions 'syntax-check-continuous)?

I'd really like to see existing real-time syntax checker implementations, I don't want to make Emacs behave in a weird way.

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  • Take a look at flymake-mode. It can run a compiler or a linter on a buffer from time to time. There's also flyspell-mode (with a variant for prog-mode descendants as well) that runs a spell checker on what you type into a buffer. Both of them ship with Emacs.
    – user12563
    Commented Jul 20, 2017 at 15:52
  • But how will those packages know about my language? Apparently (google.com/search?q=flyspell-mode+flymake-mode+faust) they don't. Furthermore, it's not just a syntax check, a build is launched in the background ; lots of things happen. I just want to know how to (message "type!") after each key press in the my-mode buffers.
    – yPhil
    Commented Jul 20, 2017 at 16:18

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By default add-hook is global, but you can pass an optional argument to add the hook only for the current buffer. From the add-hook doc string:

(add-hook HOOK FUNCTION &optional APPEND LOCAL)

The optional fourth argument, LOCAL, if non-nil, says to modify the hook’s buffer-local value rather than its global value.

It sounds like you want your mode to add a buffer-local hook when it is enabled. Try:

(add-hook 'post-self-insert-hook 'syntax-check-continuous nil t)
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