annotate man/m-x.texi @ 45176:2a245e4bdf59

(occur-unfontify-region-function): Delete. (occur-mode): Don't use it. (occur-engine): Respect `keep-props'. (occur-accumulate-lines): If we're moving forward, decrement; don't increment, and vice versa.
author Colin Walters <walters@gnu.org>
date Wed, 08 May 2002 03:53:19 +0000
parents d18a841a4a5a
children 695cf19ef79e d7ddb3e565de
Ignore whitespace changes - Everywhere: Within whitespace: At end of lines:
rev   line source
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
4 @node M-x, Help, Minibuffer, Top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
5 @chapter Running Commands by Name
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
6
36726
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
7 Every Emacs command has a name that you can use to run it. Commands
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
8 that are used often, or that must be quick to type, are also bound to
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
9 keys---short sequences of characters---for convenient use. You can
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
10 run them by name if you don't remember the keys. Other Emacs commands
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
11 that do not need to be quick are not bound to keys; the only way to
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
12 run them is by name. @xref{Key Bindings}, for the description of
36652
ca2ae794785e (M-x): Make it clear that bound commands can also be invoked by name.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
13 how to bind commands to keys.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
14
36726
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
15 By convention, a command name consists of one or more words,
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
16 separated by hyphens; for example, @code{auto-fill-mode} or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
17 @code{manual-entry}. The use of English words makes the command name
36726
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
18 easier to remember than a key made up of obscure characters, even
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
19 though it is more characters to type.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
20
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
21 @kindex M-x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
22 The way to run a command by name is to start with @kbd{M-x}, type the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
23 command name, and finish it with @key{RET}. @kbd{M-x} uses the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
24 minibuffer to read the command name. @key{RET} exits the minibuffer and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
25 runs the command. The string @samp{M-x} appears at the beginning of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
26 minibuffer as a @dfn{prompt} to remind you to enter the name of a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
27 command to be run. @xref{Minibuffer}, for full information on the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
28 features of the minibuffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
29
36726
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
30 You can use completion to enter the command name. For example, you
d18a841a4a5a Clarify key bindings vs running a command by name.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36658
diff changeset
31 can invoke the command @code{forward-char} by name by typing either
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
32
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
33 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
34 M-x forward-char @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
35 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
36
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
37 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
38 or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
39
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
40 @example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
41 M-x forw @key{TAB} c @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
42 @end example
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
43
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
44 @noindent
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
45 Note that @code{forward-char} is the same command that you invoke with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
46 the key @kbd{C-f}. You can run any Emacs command by name using
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
47 @kbd{M-x}, whether or not any keys are bound to it.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
48
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
49 If you type @kbd{C-g} while the command name is being read, you cancel
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
50 the @kbd{M-x} command and get out of the minibuffer, ending up at top level.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
51
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
52 To pass a numeric argument to the command you are invoking with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
53 @kbd{M-x}, specify the numeric argument before the @kbd{M-x}. @kbd{M-x}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
54 passes the argument along to the command it runs. The argument value
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
55 appears in the prompt while the command name is being read.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
56
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
57 @vindex suggest-key-bindings
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
58 If the command you type has a key binding of its own, Emacs mentions
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
59 this in the echo area, two seconds after the command finishes (if you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
60 don't type anything else first). For example, if you type @kbd{M-x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
61 forward-word}, the message says that you can run the same command more
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
62 easily by typing @kbd{M-f}. You can turn off these messages by setting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
63 @code{suggest-key-bindings} to @code{nil}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
64
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
65 Normally, when describing in this manual a command that is run by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
66 name, we omit the @key{RET} that is needed to terminate the name. Thus
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
67 we might speak of @kbd{M-x auto-fill-mode} rather than @kbd{M-x
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
68 auto-fill-mode @key{RET}}. We mention the @key{RET} only when there is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
69 a need to emphasize its presence, such as when we show the command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
70 together with following arguments.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
71
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
72 @findex execute-extended-command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
73 @kbd{M-x} works by running the command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
74 @code{execute-extended-command}, which is responsible for reading the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
75 name of another command and invoking it.