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author | Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org> |
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date | Thu, 01 Dec 2005 19:14:15 +0000 |
parents | 3723093a21fd |
children | 01315c421f31 2d92f5c9d6ae |
rev | line source |
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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, 2002, 2003, |
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3 @c 2004, 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
25829 | 4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 @node M-x, Help, Minibuffer, Top | |
6 @chapter Running Commands by Name | |
7 | |
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8 Every Emacs command has a name that you can use to run it. Commands |
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9 that are used often, or that must be quick to type, are also bound to |
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10 keys---short sequences of characters---for convenient use. You can |
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11 run them by name if you don't remember the keys. Other Emacs commands |
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12 that do not need to be quick are not bound to keys; the only way to |
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13 run them is by name. @xref{Key Bindings}, for the description of |
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14 how to bind commands to keys. |
25829 | 15 |
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16 By convention, a command name consists of one or more words, |
25829 | 17 separated by hyphens; for example, @code{auto-fill-mode} or |
18 @code{manual-entry}. The use of English words makes the command name | |
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19 easier to remember than a key made up of obscure characters, even |
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20 though it is more characters to type. |
25829 | 21 |
22 @kindex M-x | |
23 The way to run a command by name is to start with @kbd{M-x}, type the | |
24 command name, and finish it with @key{RET}. @kbd{M-x} uses the | |
25 minibuffer to read the command name. @key{RET} exits the minibuffer and | |
26 runs the command. The string @samp{M-x} appears at the beginning of the | |
27 minibuffer as a @dfn{prompt} to remind you to enter the name of a | |
28 command to be run. @xref{Minibuffer}, for full information on the | |
29 features of the minibuffer. | |
30 | |
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31 You can use completion to enter the command name. For example, you |
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32 can invoke the command @code{forward-char} by name by typing either |
25829 | 33 |
34 @example | |
35 M-x forward-char @key{RET} | |
36 @end example | |
37 | |
38 @noindent | |
39 or | |
40 | |
41 @example | |
42 M-x forw @key{TAB} c @key{RET} | |
43 @end example | |
44 | |
45 @noindent | |
46 Note that @code{forward-char} is the same command that you invoke with | |
47 the key @kbd{C-f}. You can run any Emacs command by name using | |
48 @kbd{M-x}, whether or not any keys are bound to it. | |
49 | |
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50 If you type @kbd{C-g} while the command name is being read, you |
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51 cancel the @kbd{M-x} command and get out of the minibuffer, ending up |
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52 at command level. |
25829 | 53 |
54 To pass a numeric argument to the command you are invoking with | |
55 @kbd{M-x}, specify the numeric argument before the @kbd{M-x}. @kbd{M-x} | |
56 passes the argument along to the command it runs. The argument value | |
57 appears in the prompt while the command name is being read. | |
58 | |
59 @vindex suggest-key-bindings | |
60 If the command you type has a key binding of its own, Emacs mentions | |
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61 this in the echo area. For example, if you type @kbd{M-x |
25829 | 62 forward-word}, the message says that you can run the same command more |
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63 easily by typing @kbd{M-f}. You can turn off these messages by |
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64 setting @code{suggest-key-bindings} to @code{nil}. |
25829 | 65 |
66 Normally, when describing in this manual a command that is run by | |
67 name, we omit the @key{RET} that is needed to terminate the name. Thus | |
68 we might speak of @kbd{M-x auto-fill-mode} rather than @kbd{M-x | |
69 auto-fill-mode @key{RET}}. We mention the @key{RET} only when there is | |
70 a need to emphasize its presence, such as when we show the command | |
71 together with following arguments. | |
72 | |
73 @findex execute-extended-command | |
74 @kbd{M-x} works by running the command | |
75 @code{execute-extended-command}, which is responsible for reading the | |
76 name of another command and invoking it. | |
52401 | 77 |
78 @ignore | |
79 arch-tag: b67bff53-9628-4666-b94e-eda972a7ba56 | |
80 @end ignore |