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GNU Emacs merges canvas feature for pixel buffer access without full redisplay
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Illustration only Photo by Sonia Dauer on Unsplash
A canvas patch exposing a pixel buffer via the dynamic module API has been merged into upstream GNU Emacs and will ship in the Emacs 32 release cycle.
This gives Emacs developers a way to manipulate images at the pixel level without the performance penalty of embedding image data in strings or triggering full redisplay. It enables smooth animations and video playback within Emacs buffers, with demos running at up to 60FPS without lagging the session.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
The canvas patch exposes an ARGB32 pixel buffer via Emacs' dynamic module API, allowing direct image data manipulation.
A dedicated canvas-refresh function updates only the relevant glyphs rather than triggering a full redisplay cycle.
The feature will ship as part of the Emacs 32 release cycle after approximately 8 months of development.
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