Variable

Summary

Extends the notion of space to include more than just the space character.

Package

system

Initial value

nil

Description

When this variable is true, the concept of "space" is extended from just #\Space to include other appropriate characters. The default is nil, for ANS compliance, but we recommend that you set it to t.

This variable controls how the format directives ~:C and ~:@C output graphic characters which have an empty glyph. When this variable is t, all such characters are output using the name:

(format nil "~:C" #\No-break-space)   -> "No-Break-Space" 

(format nil "~:C" (code-char #x3000)) -> "Ideographic-Space" 

When false, only one such character is output using the name:

(format nil "~:C" #\Space)            -> "Space"

(format nil "~:C" #\No-break-space)   -> " "

(format nil "~:C" (code-char #x3000)) -> "  "

It also affects whitespace-char-p.

See also

whitespace-char-p