GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual

20.3.3: %-Constructs in the Mode Line

The following table lists the recognized %-constructs and what they mean. In any construct except %%, you can add a decimal integer after the % to specify how many characters to display.

%b

The current buffer name, obtained with the buffer-name function. See Buffer Names.

%f

The visited file name, obtained with the buffer-file-name function. See Buffer File Name.

%F

The name of the selected frame.

%c

The current column number of point.

%l

The current line number of point.

%*

% if the buffer is read only (see buffer-read-only);
* if the buffer is modified (see buffer-modified-p);
- otherwise. See Buffer Modification.

%+

* if the buffer is modified (see buffer-modified-p);
% if the buffer is read only (see buffer-read-only);
- otherwise. This differs from %* only for a modified read-only buffer. See Buffer Modification.

%&

* if the buffer is modified, and - otherwise.

%s

The status of the subprocess belonging to the current buffer, obtained with process-status. See Process Information.

%t

Whether the visited file is a text file or a binary file. (This is a meaningful distinction only on certain operating systems.)

%p

The percentage of the buffer text above the top of window, or Top, Bottom or All.

%P

The percentage of the buffer text that is above the bottom of the window (which includes the text visible in the window, as well as the text above the top), plus Top if the top of the buffer is visible on screen; or Bottom or All.

%n

Narrow when narrowing is in effect; nothing otherwise (see narrow-to-region in Narrowing).

%[

An indication of the depth of recursive editing levels (not counting minibuffer levels): one [ for each editing level. See Recursive Editing.

%]

One ] for each recursive editing level (not counting minibuffer levels).

%%

The character %---this is how to include a literal % in a string in which %-constructs are allowed.

%-

Dashes sufficient to fill the remainder of the mode line.

The following two %-constructs are still supported, but they are obsolete, since you can get the same results with the variables mode-name and global-mode-string.

%m

The value of mode-name.

%M

The value of global-mode-string. Currently, only display-time modifies the value of global-mode-string.