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author | Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> |
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date | Tue, 08 Oct 2002 15:35:03 +0000 |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
39287 | 2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
25829 | 3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
4 @node Mark, Killing, Help, Top | |
5 @chapter The Mark and the Region | |
6 @cindex mark | |
7 @cindex setting a mark | |
8 @cindex region | |
9 | |
10 Many Emacs commands operate on an arbitrary contiguous part of the | |
11 current buffer. To specify the text for such a command to operate on, | |
12 you set @dfn{the mark} at one end of it, and move point to the other | |
13 end. The text between point and the mark is called @dfn{the region}. | |
14 Emacs highlights the region whenever there is one, if you enable | |
15 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). | |
16 | |
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17 Certain Emacs commands set the mark; other editing commands do not |
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18 affect it, so the mark remains where you set it last. Each Emacs |
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19 buffer has its own mark, and setting the mark in one buffer has no |
38786 | 20 effect on other buffers' marks. When you return to a buffer that was |
21 current earlier, its mark is at the same place as before. | |
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22 |
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23 The ends of the region are always point and the mark. It doesn't |
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24 matter which of them was put in its current place first, or which one |
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25 comes earlier in the text---the region starts from point or the mark |
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26 (whichever comes first), and ends at point or the mark (whichever |
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27 comes last). Every time you move point, or set the mark in a new |
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28 place, the region changes. |
25829 | 29 |
30 Many commands that insert text, such as @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) and | |
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31 @kbd{M-x insert-buffer}, position point and the mark at opposite ends |
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32 of the inserted text, so that the region consists of the text just |
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33 inserted. |
25829 | 34 |
35 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for | |
36 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this | |
37 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the | |
38 mark in the @dfn{mark ring}. | |
39 | |
40 @menu | |
41 * Setting Mark:: Commands to set the mark. | |
42 * Transient Mark:: How to make Emacs highlight the region-- | |
43 when there is one. | |
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44 * Momentary Mark:: Enabling Transient Mark mode momentarily. |
25829 | 45 * Using Region:: Summary of ways to operate on contents of the region. |
46 * Marking Objects:: Commands to put region around textual units. | |
47 * Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions saved so you can go back there. | |
48 * Global Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions in various buffers. | |
49 @end menu | |
50 | |
51 @node Setting Mark | |
52 @section Setting the Mark | |
53 | |
54 Here are some commands for setting the mark: | |
55 | |
56 @table @kbd | |
57 @item C-@key{SPC} | |
58 Set the mark where point is (@code{set-mark-command}). | |
59 @item C-@@ | |
60 The same. | |
61 @item C-x C-x | |
62 Interchange mark and point (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}). | |
63 @item Drag-Mouse-1 | |
64 Set point and the mark around the text you drag across. | |
65 @item Mouse-3 | |
66 Set the mark where point is, then move point to where you click | |
67 (@code{mouse-save-then-kill}). | |
68 @end table | |
69 | |
70 For example, suppose you wish to convert part of the buffer to | |
71 upper case, using the @kbd{C-x C-u} (@code{upcase-region}) command, | |
72 which operates on the text in the region. You can first go to the | |
73 beginning of the text to be capitalized, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} to put | |
74 the mark there, move to the end, and then type @kbd{C-x C-u}. Or, you | |
75 can set the mark at the end of the text, move to the beginning, and then | |
76 type @kbd{C-x C-u}. | |
77 | |
78 @kindex C-SPC | |
79 @findex set-mark-command | |
80 The most common way to set the mark is with the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} command | |
81 (@code{set-mark-command}). This sets the mark where point is. Then you | |
82 can move point away, leaving the mark behind. | |
83 | |
84 There are two ways to set the mark with the mouse. You can drag mouse | |
85 button one across a range of text; that puts point where you release the | |
86 mouse button, and sets the mark at the other end of that range. Or you | |
87 can click mouse button three, which sets the mark at point (like | |
88 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}) and then moves point (like @kbd{Mouse-1}). Both of | |
89 these methods copy the region into the kill ring in addition to setting | |
90 the mark; that gives behavior consistent with other window-driven | |
91 applications, but if you don't want to modify the kill ring, you must | |
92 use keyboard commands to set the mark. @xref{Mouse Commands}. | |
93 | |
94 @kindex C-x C-x | |
95 @findex exchange-point-and-mark | |
96 Ordinary terminals have only one cursor, so there is no way for Emacs | |
97 to show you where the mark is located. You have to remember. The usual | |
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98 solution to this problem is to set the mark and then use it soon, before |
25829 | 99 you forget where it is. Alternatively, you can see where the mark is |
100 with the command @kbd{C-x C-x} (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}) which | |
101 puts the mark where point was and point where the mark was. The extent | |
102 of the region is unchanged, but the cursor and point are now at the | |
103 previous position of the mark. In Transient Mark mode, this command | |
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104 also reactivates the mark. |
25829 | 105 |
106 @kbd{C-x C-x} is also useful when you are satisfied with the position | |
107 of point but want to move the other end of the region (where the mark | |
108 is); do @kbd{C-x C-x} to put point at that end of the region, and then | |
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109 move it. Using @kbd{C-x C-x} a second time, if necessary, puts the mark at |
25829 | 110 the new position with point back at its original position. |
111 | |
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112 For more facilities that allow you to go to previously set marks, see |
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113 @ref{Mark Ring}. |
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114 |
25829 | 115 @kindex C-@@ |
116 There is no such character as @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} in ASCII; when you | |
117 type @key{SPC} while holding down @key{CTRL}, what you get on most | |
118 ordinary terminals is the character @kbd{C-@@}. This key is actually | |
119 bound to @code{set-mark-command}. But unless you are unlucky enough to | |
120 have a terminal where typing @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} does not produce | |
121 @kbd{C-@@}, you might as well think of this character as | |
122 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}. Under X, @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} is actually a distinct | |
123 character, but its binding is still @code{set-mark-command}. | |
124 | |
125 @node Transient Mark | |
126 @section Transient Mark Mode | |
127 @cindex mode, Transient Mark | |
128 @cindex Transient Mark mode | |
129 @cindex highlighting region | |
130 @cindex region highlighting | |
131 | |
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132 On a terminal that supports colors, Emacs has the ability to |
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133 highlight the current region. But normally it does not. Why not? |
25829 | 134 |
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135 Once you have set the mark in a buffer, there is @emph{always} a |
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136 region in that buffer. This is because every command that sets the |
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137 mark also activates it, and nothing ever deactivates it. Highlighting |
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138 the region all the time would be a nuisance. So normally Emacs |
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139 highlights the region only immediately after you have selected one |
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140 with the mouse. |
25829 | 141 |
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142 If you want region highlighting, you can use Transient Mark mode. |
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143 This is a more rigid mode of operation in which the region always |
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144 ``lasts'' only until you use it; you explicitly must set up a region |
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145 for each command that uses one. In Transient Mark mode, most of the |
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146 time there is no region; therefore, highlighting the region when it |
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147 exists is useful and not annoying. When Transient Mark mode is |
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148 enabled, Emacs always highlights the region whenever there is a |
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149 region. |
25829 | 150 |
151 @findex transient-mark-mode | |
152 To enable Transient Mark mode, type @kbd{M-x transient-mark-mode}. | |
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153 This command toggles the mode; you can use the same command to turn |
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154 the mode off again. |
25829 | 155 |
156 Here are the details of Transient Mark mode: | |
157 | |
158 @itemize @bullet | |
159 @item | |
160 To set the mark, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} (@code{set-mark-command}). | |
38786 | 161 This makes the mark active and thus begins highlighting of the region. |
162 As you move point, you will see the highlighted region grow and | |
163 shrink. | |
25829 | 164 |
165 @item | |
166 The mouse commands for specifying the mark also make it active. So do | |
167 keyboard commands whose purpose is to specify a region, including | |
168 @kbd{M-@@}, @kbd{C-M-@@}, @kbd{M-h}, @kbd{C-M-h}, @kbd{C-x C-p}, and | |
169 @kbd{C-x h}. | |
170 | |
171 @item | |
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172 You can tell that the mark is active because the region is highlighted. |
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173 |
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174 @item |
25829 | 175 When the mark is active, you can execute commands that operate on the |
176 region, such as killing, indenting, or writing to a file. | |
177 | |
178 @item | |
179 Any change to the buffer, such as inserting or deleting a character, | |
180 deactivates the mark. This means any subsequent command that operates | |
181 on a region will get an error and refuse to operate. You can make the | |
182 region active again by typing @kbd{C-x C-x}. | |
183 | |
184 @item | |
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185 Quitting with @kbd{C-g} deactivates the mark. |
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186 |
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187 @item |
38786 | 188 Commands like @kbd{M->} and @kbd{C-s}, that ``leave the mark behind'' in |
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189 addition to some other primary purpose, do not activate the new mark. |
25829 | 190 You can activate the new region by executing @kbd{C-x C-x} |
191 (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}). | |
192 | |
193 @item | |
194 @kbd{C-s} when the mark is active does not alter the mark. | |
195 | |
196 @item | |
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197 Some commands operate on the region if a region is active. For |
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198 instance, @kbd{C-x u} in Transient Mark mode operates on the region, |
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199 when there is a region. (Outside Transient Mark mode, you must type |
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200 @kbd{C-u C-x u} if you want it to operate on the region.) |
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201 @xref{Undo}. Other commands that act this way are identified in their |
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202 own documentation. |
25829 | 203 @end itemize |
204 | |
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205 The highlighting of the region uses the @code{region} face; you can |
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206 customize the appearance of the highlighted region by changing this |
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207 face. @xref{Face Customization}. |
25829 | 208 |
209 @vindex highlight-nonselected-windows | |
210 When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different | |
211 regions, because they can have different values of point (though they | |
212 all share one common mark position). Ordinarily, only the selected | |
213 window highlights its region (@pxref{Windows}). However, if the | |
214 variable @code{highlight-nonselected-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then | |
215 each window highlights its own region (provided that Transient Mark mode | |
38786 | 216 is enabled and the mark in the window's buffer is active). |
25829 | 217 |
218 @vindex mark-even-if-inactive | |
219 If the variable @code{mark-even-if-inactive} is non-@code{nil} in | |
220 Transient Mark mode, then commands can use the mark and the region | |
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221 even when it is inactive. Region highlighting appears and disappears |
25829 | 222 just as it normally does in Transient Mark mode, but the mark doesn't |
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223 really go away when the highlighting disappears, so you can still use |
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224 region commands. |
25829 | 225 |
226 @cindex Zmacs mode | |
227 Transient Mark mode is also sometimes known as ``Zmacs mode'' | |
228 because the Zmacs editor on the MIT Lisp Machine handled the mark in a | |
229 similar way. | |
230 | |
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231 @node Momentary Mark |
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232 @section Using Transient Mark Mode Momentarily |
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233 |
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234 If you don't like Transient Mark mode in general, you might still |
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235 want to use it once in a while. To do this, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC} |
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236 C-@key{SPC}} or @kbd{C-u C-x C-x}. These commands set or activate the |
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237 mark, and enable Transient Mark mode only until the mark is |
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238 deactivated. |
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239 |
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240 @table @kbd |
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241 @item C-@key{SPC} C-@key{SPC} |
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242 @kindex C-@key{SPC} C-@key{SPC} |
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243 Set the mark at point (like plain @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}), and enable |
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244 Transient Mark mode just once until the mark is deactivated. (This is |
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245 not really a separate command; you are using the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} |
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246 command twice.) |
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247 |
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248 @item C-u C-x C-x |
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249 @kindex C-u C-x C-x |
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250 Activate the mark without changing it, enable Transient Mark mode just |
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251 once until the mark is deactivated. (This is the @kbd{C-x C-x} command, |
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252 @code{exchange-point-and-mark}, with a prefix argument.) |
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253 @end table |
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254 |
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255 One of the secondary features of Transient Mark mode is that certain |
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256 commands operate on the region when there is an active region. If you |
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257 don't use Transient Mark mode, the region once set never becomes |
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258 inactive, so there is no way these commands to make such a |
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259 distinction. Enabling Transient Mark mode momentarily gives you a way |
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260 to use these commands on the region. |
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261 |
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262 The other way momentarily use of Transient Mark mode is useful |
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263 is that it highlights the region for the time being. |
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264 |
25829 | 265 @node Using Region |
266 @section Operating on the Region | |
267 | |
268 @cindex operations on a marked region | |
269 Once you have a region and the mark is active, here are some of the | |
270 ways you can operate on the region: | |
271 | |
272 @itemize @bullet | |
273 @item | |
274 Kill it with @kbd{C-w} (@pxref{Killing}). | |
275 @item | |
276 Save it in a register with @kbd{C-x r s} (@pxref{Registers}). | |
277 @item | |
278 Save it in a buffer or a file (@pxref{Accumulating Text}). | |
279 @item | |
280 Convert case with @kbd{C-x C-l} or @kbd{C-x C-u} (@pxref{Case}). | |
281 @item | |
282 Indent it with @kbd{C-x @key{TAB}} or @kbd{C-M-\} (@pxref{Indentation}). | |
283 @item | |
284 Fill it as text with @kbd{M-x fill-region} (@pxref{Filling}). | |
285 @item | |
286 Print hardcopy with @kbd{M-x print-region} (@pxref{Hardcopy}). | |
287 @item | |
288 Evaluate it as Lisp code with @kbd{M-x eval-region} (@pxref{Lisp Eval}). | |
289 @end itemize | |
290 | |
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291 Most commands that operate on the text in the region have the word |
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292 @code{region} in their names. |
25829 | 293 |
294 @node Marking Objects | |
295 @section Commands to Mark Textual Objects | |
296 | |
297 @cindex marking sections of text | |
298 Here are the commands for placing point and the mark around a textual | |
299 object such as a word, list, paragraph or page. | |
300 | |
301 @table @kbd | |
302 @item M-@@ | |
38786 | 303 Set mark after end of next word (@code{mark-word}). This command and |
25829 | 304 the following one do not move point. |
305 @item C-M-@@ | |
38786 | 306 Set mark after end of following balanced expression (@code{mark-sexp}). |
25829 | 307 @item M-h |
38786 | 308 Put region around current paragraph (@code{mark-paragraph}). |
25829 | 309 @item C-M-h |
38786 | 310 Put region around current defun (@code{mark-defun}). |
25829 | 311 @item C-x h |
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312 Put region around the entire buffer (@code{mark-whole-buffer}). |
25829 | 313 @item C-x C-p |
38786 | 314 Put region around current page (@code{mark-page}). |
25829 | 315 @end table |
316 | |
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317 @kbd{M-@@} (@code{mark-word}) puts the mark at the end of the next |
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318 word, while @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}) puts it at the end of the |
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319 next balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}). These commands handle |
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320 arguments just like @kbd{M-f} and @kbd{C-M-f}. If you repeat these |
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321 commands, the region is extended. For example, you can type either |
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322 @kbd{C-u 2 M-@@} or @kbd{M-@@ M-@@} to mark the next two words. |
25829 | 323 |
324 @kindex C-x h | |
325 @findex mark-whole-buffer | |
326 Other commands set both point and mark, to delimit an object in the | |
327 buffer. For example, @kbd{M-h} (@code{mark-paragraph}) moves point to | |
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328 the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and |
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329 puts the mark at the end of that paragraph (@pxref{Paragraphs}). It |
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330 prepares the region so you can indent, case-convert, or kill a whole |
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331 paragraph. With prefix argument, if the argument's value is positive, |
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332 @kbd{M-h} marks that many paragraphs starting with the one surrounding |
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333 point. If the prefix argument is @minus{}@var{n}, @kbd{M-h} also |
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334 marks @var{n} paragraphs, running back form the one surrounding point. |
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335 In that last case, point moves forward to the end of that paragraph, |
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336 and the mark goes at the start of the region. The @kbd{M-h} command |
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337 also supports the extension of the region, similar to @kbd{M-@@} and |
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338 @kbd{C-M-@@}. |
25829 | 339 |
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340 @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun}) similarly puts point before, and the |
38786 | 341 mark after, the current (or following) major top-level definition, or |
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342 defun (@pxref{Moving by Defuns}). (Currently it only marks one defun, |
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343 but repeating it marks more defuns, like for @kbd{M-@@}.) @kbd{C-x |
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344 C-p} (@code{mark-page}) puts point before the current page, and mark |
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345 at the end (@pxref{Pages}). The mark goes after the terminating page |
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346 delimiter (to include it in the region), while point goes after the |
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347 preceding page delimiter (to exclude it). A numeric argument |
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348 specifies a later page (if positive) or an earlier page (if negative) |
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349 instead of the current page. |
25829 | 350 |
351 Finally, @kbd{C-x h} (@code{mark-whole-buffer}) sets up the entire | |
352 buffer as the region, by putting point at the beginning and the mark at | |
353 the end. | |
354 | |
355 In Transient Mark mode, all of these commands activate the mark. | |
356 | |
357 @node Mark Ring | |
358 @section The Mark Ring | |
359 | |
360 @kindex C-u C-SPC | |
361 @cindex mark ring | |
362 @kindex C-u C-@@ | |
363 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for | |
364 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this | |
365 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the | |
366 mark, in the @dfn{mark ring}. Commands that set the mark also push the | |
367 old mark onto this ring. To return to a marked location, use @kbd{C-u | |
38490 | 368 C-@key{SPC}} (or @kbd{C-u C-@@}); this is the command |
25829 | 369 @code{set-mark-command} given a numeric argument. It moves point to |
370 where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former | |
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371 marks. |
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372 |
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373 If you repeat the character @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}, after typing @kbd{C-u |
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374 C-@key{SPC}}, each repetition moves point to a previous mark position |
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375 from the ring. The mark positions you move through in this way are |
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376 not lost; they go to the end of the ring. |
25829 | 377 |
378 Each buffer has its own mark ring. All editing commands use the current | |
379 buffer's mark ring. In particular, @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} always stays in | |
380 the same buffer. | |
381 | |
382 Many commands that can move long distances, such as @kbd{M-<} | |
383 (@code{beginning-of-buffer}), start by setting the mark and saving the | |
384 old mark on the mark ring. This is to make it easier for you to move | |
385 back later. Searches set the mark if they move point. You can tell | |
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386 when a command sets the mark because it displays @samp{Mark set} in the |
25829 | 387 echo area. |
388 | |
389 If you want to move back to the same place over and over, the mark | |
390 ring may not be convenient enough. If so, you can record the position | |
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391 in a register for later retrieval (@pxref{RegPos,, Saving Positions in |
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392 Registers}). |
25829 | 393 |
394 @vindex mark-ring-max | |
395 The variable @code{mark-ring-max} specifies the maximum number of | |
396 entries to keep in the mark ring. If that many entries exist and | |
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397 another one is pushed, the earliest one in the list is discarded. Repeating |
25829 | 398 @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} cycles through the positions currently in the |
399 ring. | |
400 | |
401 @vindex mark-ring | |
402 The variable @code{mark-ring} holds the mark ring itself, as a list of | |
403 marker objects, with the most recent first. This variable is local in | |
404 every buffer. | |
405 | |
406 @node Global Mark Ring | |
407 @section The Global Mark Ring | |
408 @cindex global mark ring | |
409 | |
410 In addition to the ordinary mark ring that belongs to each buffer, | |
411 Emacs has a single @dfn{global mark ring}. It records a sequence of | |
412 buffers in which you have recently set the mark, so you can go back | |
413 to those buffers. | |
414 | |
415 Setting the mark always makes an entry on the current buffer's mark | |
416 ring. If you have switched buffers since the previous mark setting, the | |
417 new mark position makes an entry on the global mark ring also. The | |
418 result is that the global mark ring records a sequence of buffers that | |
419 you have been in, and, for each buffer, a place where you set the mark. | |
420 | |
421 @kindex C-x C-@key{SPC} | |
422 @findex pop-global-mark | |
423 The command @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} (@code{pop-global-mark}) jumps to | |
424 the buffer and position of the latest entry in the global ring. It also | |
425 rotates the ring, so that successive uses of @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} take | |
426 you to earlier and earlier buffers. | |
427 |