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annotate man/commands.texi @ 79548:41e32a5bc0df
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author | Dan Nicolaescu <dann@ics.uci.edu> |
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date | Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:39:26 +0000 |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, |
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3 @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
25829 | 4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 @iftex | |
6 @chapter Characters, Keys and Commands | |
7 | |
8 This chapter explains the character sets used by Emacs for input | |
70356 | 9 commands and for the contents of files, and the fundamental concepts of |
10 @dfn{keys} and @dfn{commands}, whereby Emacs interprets your keyboard | |
11 and mouse input. | |
25829 | 12 @end iftex |
13 | |
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14 @ifnottex |
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15 @raisesections |
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16 @end ifnottex |
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17 |
25829 | 18 @node User Input, Keys, Screen, Top |
19 @section Kinds of User Input | |
20 @cindex input with the keyboard | |
21 @cindex keyboard input | |
22 @cindex character set (keyboard) | |
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23 @cindex @acronym{ASCII} |
25829 | 24 @cindex C- |
25 @cindex Control | |
26 @cindex control characters | |
27 | |
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28 GNU Emacs is designed for use with keyboard commands because that is |
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29 the most efficient way to edit. You can do editing with the mouse, as |
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30 in other editors, and you can give commands with the menu bar and tool |
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31 bar, and scroll with the scroll bar. But if you keep on editing that |
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32 way, you won't get the benefits of Emacs. Therefore, this manual |
72100 | 33 documents primarily how to edit with the keyboard. You can force |
34 yourself to practice using the keyboard by using the shell command | |
35 @samp{emacs -nw} to start Emacs, so that the mouse won't work. | |
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36 |
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37 Emacs uses an extension of the @acronym{ASCII} character set for |
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38 keyboard input; it also accepts non-character input events including |
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39 function keys and mouse button actions. |
25829 | 40 |
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41 @acronym{ASCII} consists of 128 character codes. Some of these codes are |
25829 | 42 assigned graphic symbols such as @samp{a} and @samp{=}; the rest are |
43 control characters, such as @kbd{Control-a} (usually written @kbd{C-a} | |
44 for short). @kbd{C-a} gets its name from the fact that you type it by | |
45 holding down the @key{CTRL} key while pressing @kbd{a}. | |
46 | |
70356 | 47 Some @acronym{ASCII} control characters have special names, and most |
48 terminals have special keys you can type them with: for example, | |
49 @key{RET}, @key{TAB}, @key{DEL} and @key{ESC}. The space character is | |
50 usually known as @key{SPC}, even though strictly speaking it is a | |
51 graphic character that is blank. | |
25829 | 52 |
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53 Emacs extends the @acronym{ASCII} character set with thousands more printing |
25829 | 54 characters (@pxref{International}), additional control characters, and a |
55 few more modifiers that can be combined with any character. | |
56 | |
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57 On @acronym{ASCII} terminals, there are only 32 possible control characters. |
25829 | 58 These are the control variants of letters and @samp{@@[]\^_}. In |
59 addition, the shift key is meaningless with control characters: | |
60 @kbd{C-a} and @kbd{C-A} are the same character, and Emacs cannot | |
61 distinguish them. | |
62 | |
70356 | 63 The Emacs character set has room for control variants of all |
64 printing characters, and distinguishes @kbd{C-A} from @kbd{C-a}. | |
65 Graphical terminals make it possible to enter all these characters. | |
66 For example, @kbd{C--} (that's Control-Minus) and @kbd{C-5} are | |
67 meaningful Emacs commands on a graphical terminal. | |
25829 | 68 |
69 Another Emacs character-set extension is additional modifier bits. | |
70 Only one modifier bit is commonly used; it is called Meta. Every | |
71 character has a Meta variant; examples include @kbd{Meta-a} (normally | |
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72 written @kbd{M-a}, for short), @kbd{M-A} (different from @kbd{M-a}, |
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73 but they are normally equivalent in Emacs), @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, and |
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74 @kbd{M-C-a}. That last means @kbd{a} with both the @key{CTRL} and |
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75 @key{META} modifiers. We usually write it as @kbd{C-M-a} rather than |
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76 @kbd{M-C-a}, for reasons of tradition. |
25829 | 77 |
78 @cindex Meta | |
79 @cindex M- | |
80 @cindex @key{ESC} replacing @key{META} key | |
81 Some terminals have a @key{META} key, and allow you to type Meta | |
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82 characters by holding this key down. Thus, you can type @kbd{Meta-a} |
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83 by holding down @key{META} and pressing @kbd{a}. The @key{META} key |
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84 works much like the @key{SHIFT} key. In fact, this key is more often |
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85 labeled @key{ALT} or @key{EDIT}, instead of @key{META}; on a Sun |
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86 keyboard, it may have a diamond on it. |
25829 | 87 |
88 If there is no @key{META} key, you can still type Meta characters | |
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89 using two-character sequences starting with @key{ESC}. Thus, you can |
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90 enter @kbd{M-a} by typing @kbd{@key{ESC} a}. You can enter |
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91 @kbd{C-M-a} by typing @kbd{@key{ESC} C-a}. Unlike @key{META}, which |
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92 modifies other characters, @key{ESC} is a separate character. You |
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93 don't hold down @key{ESC} while typing the next character; instead, |
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94 you press it and release it, then you enter the next character. |
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95 @key{ESC} is allowed on terminals with @key{META} keys, too, in case |
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96 you have formed a habit of using it. |
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97 |
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98 Emacs defines several other modifier keys that can be applied to any |
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99 input character. These are called @key{SUPER}, @key{HYPER} and |
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100 @key{ALT}. We write @samp{s-}, @samp{H-} and @samp{A-} to say that a |
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101 character uses these modifiers. Thus, @kbd{s-H-C-x} is short for |
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102 @kbd{Super-Hyper-Control-x}. Not all graphical terminals actually |
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103 provide keys for these modifier flags---in fact, many terminals have a |
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104 key labeled @key{ALT} which is really a @key{META} key. The standard |
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105 key bindings of Emacs do not include any characters with these |
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106 modifiers. But you can assign them meanings of your own by |
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107 customizing Emacs. |
25829 | 108 |
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109 If your keyboard lacks one of these modifier keys, you can enter it |
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110 using @kbd{C-x @@}: @kbd{C-x @@ h} adds the ``hyper'' flag to the next |
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111 character, @kbd{C-x @@ s} adds the ``super'' flag, and @kbd{C-x @@ a} |
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112 adds the ``alt'' flag. For instance, @kbd{C-x @@ h C-a} is a way to |
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113 enter @kbd{Hyper-Control-a}. (Unfortunately there is no way to add |
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114 two modifiers by using @kbd{C-x @@} twice for the same character, |
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115 because the first one goes to work on the @kbd{C-x}.) |
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116 |
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117 Keyboard input includes keyboard keys that are not characters at |
70356 | 118 all, such as function keys and arrow keys. Mouse buttons are also not |
119 characters. However, you can modify these events with the modifier | |
120 keys @key{CTRL}, @key{META}, @key{SUPER}, @key{HYPER} and @key{ALT}, | |
121 just like keyboard characters. | |
25829 | 122 |
123 @cindex input event | |
124 Input characters and non-character inputs are collectively called | |
125 @dfn{input events}. @xref{Input Events,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp | |
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126 Reference Manual}, for the full Lisp-level details. If you are not |
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127 doing Lisp programming, but simply want to redefine the meaning of |
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128 some characters or non-character events, see @ref{Customization}. |
25829 | 129 |
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130 @acronym{ASCII} terminals cannot really send anything to the computer except |
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131 @acronym{ASCII} characters. These terminals use a sequence of characters to |
25829 | 132 represent each function key. But that is invisible to the Emacs user, |
70356 | 133 because the keyboard input routines catch these special sequences |
25829 | 134 and convert them to function key events before any other part of Emacs |
135 gets to see them. | |
136 | |
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137 @cindex keys stolen by window manager |
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138 @cindex window manager, keys stolen by |
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139 On graphical displays, the window manager is likely to block the |
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140 character @kbd{Meta-@key{TAB}} before Emacs can see it. It may also |
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141 block @kbd{Meta-@key{SPC}}, @kbd{C-M-d} and @kbd{C-M-l}. If you have |
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142 these problems, we recommend that you customize your window manager to |
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143 turn off those commands, or put them on key combinations that Emacs |
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144 does not use. |
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145 |
25829 | 146 @node Keys, Commands, User Input, Top |
147 @section Keys | |
148 | |
149 @cindex key sequence | |
150 @cindex key | |
151 A @dfn{key sequence} (@dfn{key}, for short) is a sequence of input | |
70356 | 152 events that is meaningful as a unit---a ``single command.'' Some |
153 Emacs command sequences are invoked by just one character or one | |
154 event; for example, just @kbd{C-f} moves forward one character in the | |
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155 buffer. But Emacs also has commands that take two or more events to |
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156 invoke. |
25829 | 157 |
158 @cindex complete key | |
159 @cindex prefix key | |
160 If a sequence of events is enough to invoke a command, it is a | |
161 @dfn{complete key}. Examples of complete keys include @kbd{C-a}, | |
162 @kbd{X}, @key{RET}, @key{NEXT} (a function key), @key{DOWN} (an arrow | |
163 key), @kbd{C-x C-f}, and @kbd{C-x 4 C-f}. If it isn't long enough to be | |
164 complete, we call it a @dfn{prefix key}. The above examples show that | |
165 @kbd{C-x} and @kbd{C-x 4} are prefix keys. Every key sequence is either | |
166 a complete key or a prefix key. | |
167 | |
168 Most single characters constitute complete keys in the standard Emacs | |
169 command bindings. A few of them are prefix keys. A prefix key combines | |
170 with the following input event to make a longer key sequence, which may | |
171 itself be complete or a prefix. For example, @kbd{C-x} is a prefix key, | |
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172 so @kbd{C-x} and the next input event combine to make a two-event |
25829 | 173 key sequence. Most of these key sequences are complete keys, including |
174 @kbd{C-x C-f} and @kbd{C-x b}. A few, such as @kbd{C-x 4} and @kbd{C-x | |
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175 r}, are themselves prefix keys that lead to three-event key |
25829 | 176 sequences. There's no limit to the length of a key sequence, but in |
177 practice people rarely use sequences longer than four events. | |
178 | |
70356 | 179 You can't add input events onto a complete key. For example, the |
180 two-event sequence @kbd{C-f C-k} is not a key, because the @kbd{C-f} | |
181 is a complete key in itself. It's impossible to give @kbd{C-f C-k} an | |
182 independent meaning as a command. @kbd{C-f C-k} is two key sequences, | |
183 not one.@refill | |
25829 | 184 |
185 All told, the prefix keys in Emacs are @kbd{C-c}, @kbd{C-h}, | |
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186 @kbd{C-x}, @kbd{C-x @key{RET}}, @kbd{C-x @@}, @kbd{C-x a}, @kbd{C-x |
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187 n}, @w{@kbd{C-x r}}, @kbd{C-x v}, @kbd{C-x 4}, @kbd{C-x 5}, @kbd{C-x |
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188 6}, @key{ESC}, @kbd{M-g}, and @kbd{M-o}. (@key{F1} and @key{F2} are |
70356 | 189 aliases for @kbd{C-h} and @kbd{C-x 6}.) This list is not cast in stone; |
190 it describes the standard key bindings. If you customize Emacs, you can make | |
191 new prefix keys, or eliminate some of the standard ones (not | |
192 recommended for most users). @xref{Key Bindings}. | |
25829 | 193 |
70356 | 194 If you make or eliminate prefix keys, that changes the set of |
25829 | 195 possible key sequences. For example, if you redefine @kbd{C-f} as a |
70356 | 196 prefix, @kbd{C-f C-k} automatically becomes a key (complete, unless |
197 you define that too as a prefix). Conversely, if you remove the | |
198 prefix definition of @kbd{C-x 4}, then @kbd{C-x 4 f} and @kbd{C-x 4 | |
199 @var{anything}} are no longer keys. | |
25829 | 200 |
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201 Typing the help character (@kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}) after a prefix key |
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202 displays a list of the commands starting with that prefix. There are |
70356 | 203 a few prefix keys after which @kbd{C-h} does not work---for historical |
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204 reasons, they define other meanings for @kbd{C-h} which are painful to |
70356 | 205 change. @key{F1} works after all prefix keys. |
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206 |
25829 | 207 @node Commands, Text Characters, Keys, Top |
208 @section Keys and Commands | |
209 | |
210 @cindex binding | |
211 @cindex command | |
212 @cindex function definition | |
213 This manual is full of passages that tell you what particular keys | |
214 do. But Emacs does not assign meanings to keys directly. Instead, | |
215 Emacs assigns meanings to named @dfn{commands}, and then gives keys | |
216 their meanings by @dfn{binding} them to commands. | |
217 | |
70356 | 218 Every command has a name chosen by a programmer. The name is |
219 usually made of a few English words separated by dashes; for example, | |
25829 | 220 @code{next-line} or @code{forward-word}. A command also has a |
70356 | 221 @dfn{function definition} which is a Lisp program; this is how the |
222 command does its work. In Emacs Lisp, a command is a Lisp function with | |
223 special options to read arguments and for interactive use. For more | |
224 information on commands and functions, see @ref{What Is a Function,, | |
225 What Is a Function, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}. (The | |
226 definition here is simplified slightly.) | |
25829 | 227 |
70356 | 228 The bindings between keys and commands are recorded in tables called |
229 @dfn{keymaps}. @xref{Keymaps}. | |
25829 | 230 |
231 When we say that ``@kbd{C-n} moves down vertically one line'' we are | |
70356 | 232 glossing over a subtle distinction that is irrelevant in ordinary use, |
233 but vital for Emacs customization. The command @code{next-line} does | |
234 a vertical move downward. @kbd{C-n} has this effect @emph{because} it | |
235 is bound to @code{next-line}. If you rebind @kbd{C-n} to the command | |
236 @code{forward-word}, @kbd{C-n} will move forward one word instead. | |
237 Rebinding keys is an important method of customization. | |
25829 | 238 |
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239 In the rest of this manual, we usually ignore this distinction to |
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240 keep things simple. We will often speak of keys like @kbd{C-n} as |
70356 | 241 commands, even though strictly speaking the key is bound to a command. |
242 Usually we state the name of the command which really does the work in | |
243 parentheses after mentioning the key that runs it. For example, we | |
244 will say that ``The command @kbd{C-n} (@code{next-line}) moves point | |
245 vertically down,'' meaning that the command @code{next-line} moves | |
246 vertically down, and the key @kbd{C-n} is normally bound to it. | |
25829 | 247 |
70356 | 248 Since we are discussing customization, we should tell you about |
249 @dfn{variables}. Often the description of a command will say, ``To | |
250 change this, set the variable @code{mumble-foo}.'' A variable is a | |
251 name used to store a value. Most of the variables documented in this | |
252 manual are meant for customization: some command or other part of | |
253 Emacs examines the variable and behaves differently according to the | |
254 value that you set. You can ignore the information about variables | |
255 until you are interested in customizing them. Then read the basic | |
256 information on variables (@pxref{Variables}) and the information about | |
257 specific variables will make sense. | |
25829 | 258 |
259 @node Text Characters, Entering Emacs, Commands, Top | |
260 @section Character Set for Text | |
261 @cindex characters (in text) | |
262 | |
70356 | 263 Text in Emacs buffers is a sequence of characters. In the simplest |
264 case, these are @acronym{ASCII} characters, each stored in one 8-bit | |
265 byte. Both @acronym{ASCII} control characters (octal codes 000 | |
266 through 037, and 0177) and @acronym{ASCII} printing characters (codes | |
267 040 through 0176) are allowed. The other modifier flags used in | |
268 keyboard input, such as Meta, are not allowed in buffers. | |
269 | |
270 Non-@acronym{ASCII} printing characters can also appear in buffers, | |
271 when multibyte characters are enabled. They have character codes | |
272 starting at 256, octal 0400, and each one is represented as a sequence | |
273 of two or more bytes. @xref{International}. Single-byte characters | |
274 with codes 128 through 255 can also appear in multibyte buffers. | |
275 However, non-@acronym{ASCII} control characters cannot appear in a | |
276 buffer. | |
25829 | 277 |
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278 Some @acronym{ASCII} control characters serve special purposes in text, and have |
25829 | 279 special names. For example, the newline character (octal code 012) is |
280 used in the buffer to end a line, and the tab character (octal code 011) | |
281 is used for indenting to the next tab stop column (normally every 8 | |
282 columns). @xref{Text Display}. | |
283 | |
284 If you disable multibyte characters, then you can use only one | |
70356 | 285 alphabet of non-@acronym{ASCII} characters, which all fit in one byte. |
286 They use octal codes 0200 through 0377. @xref{Unibyte Mode}. | |
52401 | 287 |
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288 @ifnottex |
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289 @lowersections |
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290 @end ifnottex |
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291 |
52401 | 292 @ignore |
293 arch-tag: 9be43eef-d1f4-4d03-a916-c741ea713a45 | |
294 @end ignore |