annotate man/glossary.texi @ 45749:8dd957dbfbcc

(format-alist): Document new element PRESERVE. (format-write-file): Implement PRESERVE elt for a format.
author Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
date Tue, 11 Jun 2002 19:26:45 +0000
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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
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4 @node Glossary, Key Index, Intro, Top
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5 @unnumbered Glossary
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6
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7 @table @asis
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8 @item Abbrev
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9 An abbrev is a text string which expands into a different text string
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10 when present in the buffer. For example, you might define a few letters
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11 as an abbrev for a long phrase that you want to insert frequently.
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12 @xref{Abbrevs}.
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13
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14 @item Aborting
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15 Aborting means getting out of a recursive edit (q.v.@:). The
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16 commands @kbd{C-]} and @kbd{M-x top-level} are used for this.
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17 @xref{Quitting}.
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18
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19 @item Alt
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20 Alt is the name of a modifier bit which a keyboard input character may
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21 have. To make a character Alt, type it while holding down the @key{ALT}
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22 key. Such characters are given names that start with @kbd{Alt-}
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23 (usually written @kbd{A-} for short). (Note that many terminals have a
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24 key labeled @key{ALT} which is really a @key{META} key.) @xref{User
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25 Input, Alt}.
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26
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27 @item Argument
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28 See `numeric argument.'
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29
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30 @item ASCII character
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31 An ASCII character is either an ASCII control character or an ASCII
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32 printing character. @xref{User Input}.
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33
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34 @item ASCII control character
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35 An ASCII control character is the Control version of an upper-case
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36 letter, or the Control version of one of the characters @samp{@@[\]^_?}.
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37
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38 @item ASCII printing character
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39 ASCII printing characters include letters, digits, space, and these
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40 punctuation characters: @samp{!@@#$%^& *()_-+=|\~` @{@}[]:;"' <>,.?/}.
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41
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42 @item Auto Fill Mode
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43 Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which text that you insert is
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44 automatically broken into lines of a given maximum width.
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45 @xref{Filling}.
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46
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47 @item Auto Saving
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48 Auto saving is the practice of saving the contents of an Emacs buffer in
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49 a specially-named file, so that the information will not be lost if the
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50 buffer is lost due to a system error or user error. @xref{Auto Save}.
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51
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52 @item Autoloading
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53 Emacs automatically loads Lisp libraries when a Lisp program requests a
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54 function or a variable from those libraries. This is called
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55 `autoloading'. @xref{Lisp Libraries}.
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56
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57 @item Backtrace
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58 A backtrace is a trace of a series of function calls showing how a
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59 program arrived to a certain point. It is used mainly for finding and
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60 correcting bugs (q.v.@:). Emacs can display a backtrace when it signals
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61 an error or when you type @kbd{C-g} (see `quitting'). @xref{Checklist}.
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62
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63 @item Backup File
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64 A backup file records the contents that a file had before the current
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65 editing session. Emacs makes backup files automatically to help you
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66 track down or cancel changes you later regret making. @xref{Backup}.
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67
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68 @item Balance Parentheses
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69 Emacs can balance parentheses (or other matching delimiters) either
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70 manually or automatically. You do manual balancing with the commands
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71 to move over parenthetical groupings (@pxref{Moving by Parens}).
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72 Automatic balancing works by blinking or highlighting the delimiter
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73 that matches the one you just inserted (@pxref{Matching,,Matching
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74 Parens}).
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75
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76 @item Balanced Expressions
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77 A balanced expression is a syntactically recognizable expression, such
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78 as a symbol, number, string constant, block, or parenthesized expression
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79 in C. @xref{Expressions,Balanced Expressions}.
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80
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81 @item Balloon Help
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82 See `tooltips.'
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83
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84 @item Base Buffer
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85 A base buffer is a buffer whose text is shared by an indirect buffer
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86 (q.v.@:).
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87
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88 @item Bind
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89 To bind a key sequence means to give it a binding (q.v.@:).
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90 @xref{Rebinding}.
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91
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92 @item Binding
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93 A key sequence gets its meaning in Emacs by having a binding, which is a
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94 command (q.v.@:), a Lisp function that is run when the user types that
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95 sequence. @xref{Commands,Binding}. Customization often involves
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96 rebinding a character to a different command function. The bindings of
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97 all key sequences are recorded in the keymaps (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}.
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98
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99 @item Blank Lines
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100 Blank lines are lines that contain only whitespace. Emacs has several
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101 commands for operating on the blank lines in the buffer.
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102
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103 @item Bookmark
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104 Bookmarks are akin to registers (q.v.@:) in that they record positions
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105 in buffers to which you can return later. Unlike registers, bookmarks
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106 persist between Emacs sessions.
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107
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108 @item Border
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109 A border is a thin space along the edge of the frame, used just for
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110 spacing, not for displaying anything. An Emacs frame has an ordinary
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111 external border, outside of everything including the menu bar, plus an
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112 internal border that surrounds the text windows and their scroll bars
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113 and separates them from the menu bar and tool bar. You can customize
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114 both borders with options and resources (@pxref{Borders X}). Borders
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115 are not the same as fringes (q.v.@:).
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116
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117 @item Buffer
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118 The buffer is the basic editing unit; one buffer corresponds to one text
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119 being edited. You can have several buffers, but at any time you are
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120 editing only one, the `current buffer,' though several can be visible
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121 when you are using multiple windows (q.v.@:). Most buffers are visiting
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122 (q.v.@:) some file. @xref{Buffers}.
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123
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124 @item Buffer Selection History
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125 Emacs keeps a buffer selection history which records how recently each
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126 Emacs buffer has been selected. This is used for choosing a buffer to
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127 select. @xref{Buffers}.
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128
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129 @item Bug
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130 A bug is an incorrect or unreasonable behavior of a program, or
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131 inaccurate or confusing documentation. Emacs developers treat bug
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132 reports, both in Emacs code and its documentation, very seriously and
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133 ask you to report any bugs you find. @xref{Bugs}.
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134
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135 @item Button Down Event
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136 A button down event is the kind of input event generated right away when
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137 you press down on a mouse button. @xref{Mouse Buttons}.
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138
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139 @item By Default
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140 See `default.'
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141
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142 @item @kbd{C-}
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143 @kbd{C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for Control.
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144 @xref{User Input,C-}.
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145
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146 @item @kbd{C-M-}
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147 @kbd{C-M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for
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148 Control-Meta. @xref{User Input,C-M-}.
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149
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150 @item Case Conversion
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151 Case conversion means changing text from upper case to lower case or
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152 vice versa. @xref{Case}, for the commands for case conversion.
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153
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154 @item Character
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155 Characters form the contents of an Emacs buffer; see @ref{Text
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156 Characters}. Also, key sequences (q.v.@:) are usually made up of
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157 characters (though they may include other input events as well).
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158 @xref{User Input}.
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159
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160 @item Character Set
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161 Emacs supports a number of character sets, each of which represents a
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162 particular alphabet or script. @xref{International}.
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163
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164 @item Character Terminal
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165 See `text-only terminal.'
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166
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167 @item Click Event
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168 A click event is the kind of input event generated when you press a
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169 mouse button and release it without moving the mouse. @xref{Mouse Buttons}.
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170
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171 @item Clipboard
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172 A clipboard is a buffer provided by the window system for transferring
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173 text between applications. On the X Window system, the clipboard is
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174 provided in addition to the primary selection (q.v.@:); on MS-Windows,
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175 the clipboard is used @emph{instead} of the primary selection.
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176 @xref{Clipboard}.
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177
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178 @item Coding System
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179 A coding system is an encoding for representing text characters in a
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180 file or in a stream of information. Emacs has the ability to convert
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181 text to or from a variety of coding systems when reading or writing it.
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182 @xref{Coding Systems}.
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183
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184 @item Command
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185 A command is a Lisp function specially defined to be able to serve as a
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186 key binding in Emacs. When you type a key sequence (q.v.@:), its
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187 binding (q.v.@:) is looked up in the relevant keymaps (q.v.@:) to find
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188 the command to run. @xref{Commands}.
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189
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190 @item Command History
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191 See `minibuffer history.'
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192
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193 @item Command Name
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194 A command name is the name of a Lisp symbol which is a command
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195 (@pxref{Commands}). You can invoke any command by its name using
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196 @kbd{M-x} (@pxref{M-x,M-x,Running Commands by Name}).
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197
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198 @item Comment
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199 A comment is text in a program which is intended only for humans reading
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200 the program, and which is marked specially so that it will be ignored
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201 when the program is loaded or compiled. Emacs offers special commands
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202 for creating, aligning and killing comments. @xref{Comments}.
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203
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204 @item Common Lisp
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205 Common Lisp is a dialect of Lisp (q.v.@:) much larger and more powerful
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206 than Emacs Lisp. Emacs provides a subset of Common Lisp in the CL
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207 package. @xref{Common Lisp,,, cl, Common Lisp Extensions}.
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208
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209 @item Compilation
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210 Compilation is the process of creating an executable program from source
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211 code. Emacs has commands for compiling files of Emacs Lisp code
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212 (@pxref{Byte Compilation,,, elisp, the Emacs Lisp
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213 Reference Manual}) and programs in C and other languages
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214 (@pxref{Compilation}).
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215
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216 @item Complete Key
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217 A complete key is a key sequence which fully specifies one action to be
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218 performed by Emacs. For example, @kbd{X} and @kbd{C-f} and @kbd{C-x m}
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219 are complete keys. Complete keys derive their meanings from being bound
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220 (q.v.@:) to commands (q.v.@:). Thus, @kbd{X} is conventionally bound to
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221 a command to insert @samp{X} in the buffer; @kbd{C-x m} is
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222 conventionally bound to a command to begin composing a mail message.
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223 @xref{Keys}.
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224
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225 @item Completion
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226 Completion is what Emacs does when it automatically fills out an
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227 abbreviation for a name into the entire name. Completion is done for
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228 minibuffer (q.v.@:) arguments when the set of possible valid inputs
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229 is known; for example, on command names, buffer names, and
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230 file names. Completion occurs when @key{TAB}, @key{SPC} or @key{RET}
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231 is typed. @xref{Completion}.@refill
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232
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233 @item Continuation Line
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234 When a line of text is longer than the width of the window, it
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235 takes up more than one screen line when displayed. We say that the
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236 text line is continued, and all screen lines used for it after the
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237 first are called continuation lines. @xref{Basic,Continuation,Basic
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238 Editing}. A related Emacs feature is `filling' (q.v.@:).
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239
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240 @item Control Character
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241 A control character is a character that you type by holding down the
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242 @key{CTRL} key. Some control characters also have their own keys, so
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243 that you can type them without using @key{CTRL}. For example,
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244 @key{RET}, @key{TAB}, @key{ESC} and @key{DEL} are all control
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245 characters. @xref{User Input}.
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246
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247 @item Copyleft
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248 A copyleft is a notice giving the public legal permission to
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249 redistribute a program or other work of art. Copylefts are used by
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250 left-wing programmers to promote freedom and cooperation, just as
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251 copyrights are used by right-wing programmers to gain power over other
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252 people.
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253
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254 The particular form of copyleft used by the GNU project is called the
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255 GNU General Public License. @xref{Copying}.
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256
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257 @item @key{CTRL}
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258 The @key{CTLR} or ``control'' key is what you hold down
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259 in order to enter a control character (q.v.).
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260
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261 @item Current Buffer
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262 The current buffer in Emacs is the Emacs buffer on which most editing
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263 commands operate. You can select any Emacs buffer as the current one.
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264 @xref{Buffers}.
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265
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266 @item Current Line
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267 The current line is a line point is on (@pxref{Point}).
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268
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269 @item Current Paragraph
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270 The current paragraph is the paragraph that point is in. If point is
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271 between two paragraphs, the current paragraph is the one that follows
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272 point. @xref{Paragraphs}.
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273
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274 @item Current Defun
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275 The current defun is the defun (q.v.@:) that point is in. If point is
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276 between defuns, the current defun is the one that follows point.
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277 @xref{Defuns}.
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278
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279 @item Cursor
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280 The cursor is the rectangle on the screen which indicates the position
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281 called point (q.v.@:) at which insertion and deletion takes place.
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282 The cursor is on or under the character that follows point. Often
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283 people speak of `the cursor' when, strictly speaking, they mean
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284 `point.' @xref{Basic,Cursor,Basic Editing}.
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285
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286 @item Customization
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287 Customization is making minor changes in the way Emacs works. It is
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288 often done by setting variables (@pxref{Variables}) or by rebinding
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289 key sequences (@pxref{Keymaps}).
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290
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291 @cindex cut and paste
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292 @item Cut and Paste
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293 See `killing' and `yanking.'
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294
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295 @item Default Argument
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296 The default for an argument is the value that will be assumed if you
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297 do not specify one. When the minibuffer is used to read an argument,
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298 the default argument is used if you just type @key{RET}.
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299 @xref{Minibuffer}.
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300
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301 @item Default
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302 A default is the value that is used for a certain purpose if and when
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303 you do not specify a value to use.
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304
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305 @item Default Directory
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306 When you specify a file name that does not start with @samp{/} or @samp{~},
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307 it is interpreted relative to the current buffer's default directory.
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308 (On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, file names which start with a drive letter
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309 @samp{@var{x}:} are treated as absolute, not relative.)
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310 @xref{Minibuffer File,Default Directory}.
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311
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312 @item Defun
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313 A defun is a major definition at the top level in a program. The name
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314 `defun' comes from Lisp, where most such definitions use the construct
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315 @code{defun}. @xref{Defuns}.
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316
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317 @item @key{DEL}
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318 @key{DEL} is a character that runs the command to delete one character
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319 of text before the cursor. It is typically either the @key{DELETE}
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320 key or the @key{BACKSPACE} key, whichever one is easy to type.
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321 @xref{Basic,DEL,Basic Editing}.
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322
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323 @item Deletion
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324 Deletion means erasing text without copying it into the kill ring
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325 (q.v.@:). The alternative is killing (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing,Deletion}.
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326
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327 @item Deletion of Files
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328 Deleting a file means erasing it from the file system.
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329 @xref{Misc File Ops,Misc File Ops,Miscellaneous File Operations}.
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330
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331 @item Deletion of Messages
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332 Deleting a message means flagging it to be eliminated from your mail
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333 file. Until you expunge (q.v.@:) the Rmail file, you can still undelete
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334 the messages you have deleted. @xref{Rmail Deletion}.
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335
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336 @item Deletion of Windows
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337 Deleting a window means eliminating it from the screen. Other windows
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338 expand to use up the space. The deleted window can never come back,
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339 but no actual text is thereby lost. @xref{Windows}.
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340
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341 @item Directory
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342 File directories are named collections in the file system, within which
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343 you can place individual files or subdirectories. @xref{Directories}.
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344
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345 @item Dired
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346 Dired is the Emacs facility that displays the contents of a file
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347 directory and allows you to ``edit the directory,'' performing
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348 operations on the files in the directory. @xref{Dired}.
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349
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350 @item Disabled Command
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351 A disabled command is one that you may not run without special
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352 confirmation. The usual reason for disabling a command is that it is
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353 confusing for beginning users. @xref{Disabling}.
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354
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355 @item Down Event
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356 Short for `button down event' (q.v.@:).
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357
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358 @item Drag Event
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359 A drag event is the kind of input event generated when you press a mouse
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360 button, move the mouse, and then release the button. @xref{Mouse
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361 Buttons}.
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362
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363 @item Dribble File
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364 A dribble file is a file into which Emacs writes all the characters that
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365 the user types on the keyboard. Dribble files are used to make a record
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366 for debugging Emacs bugs. Emacs does not make a dribble file unless you
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367 tell it to. @xref{Bugs}.
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368
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369 @item Echo Area
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370 The echo area is the bottom line of the screen, used for echoing the
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371 arguments to commands, for asking questions, and showing brief messages
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372 (including error messages). The messages are stored in the buffer
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373 @samp{*Messages*} so you can review them later. @xref{Echo Area}.
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374
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375 @item Echoing
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376 Echoing is acknowledging the receipt of commands by displaying them (in
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377 the echo area). Emacs never echoes single-character key sequences;
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378 longer key sequences echo only if you pause while typing them.
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379
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380 @item Electric
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381 We say that a character is electric if it is normally self-inserting
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382 (q.v.@:), but the current major mode (q.v.@:) redefines it to do something
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383 else as well. For example, some programming language major modes define
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384 particular delimiter characters to reindent the line or insert one or
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385 more newlines in addition to self-insertion.
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386
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387 @item End Of Line
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388 End of line is a character or a sequence of characters that indicate
5464ee1ba8e2 Minor cleanups.
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389 the end of a text line. On GNU and Unix systems, this is a newline
5464ee1ba8e2 Minor cleanups.
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390 (q.v.@:), but other systems have other conventions. @xref{Coding
5464ee1ba8e2 Minor cleanups.
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391 Systems,end-of-line}. Emacs can recognize several end-of-line
5464ee1ba8e2 Minor cleanups.
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392 conventions in files and convert between them.
36839
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393
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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394 @item Environment Variable
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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395 An environment variable is one of a collection of variables stored by
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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396 the operating system, each one having a name and a value. Emacs can
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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diff changeset
397 access environment variables set by its parent shell, and it can set
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
398 variables in the environment it passes to programs it invokes.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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399 @xref{Environment}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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400
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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401 @item EOL
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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402 See `end of line.'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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403
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404 @item Error
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405 An error occurs when an Emacs command cannot execute in the current
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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406 circumstances. When an error occurs, execution of the command stops
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407 (unless the command has been programmed to do otherwise) and Emacs
38870
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diff changeset
408 reports the error by displaying an error message (q.v.@:). Type-ahead
25829
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409 is discarded. Then Emacs is ready to read another editing command.
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410
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411 @item Error Message
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412 An error message is a single line of output displayed by Emacs when the
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413 user asks for something impossible to do (such as, killing text
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414 forward when point is at the end of the buffer). They appear in the
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diff changeset
415 echo area, accompanied by a beep.
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416
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diff changeset
417 @item @key{ESC}
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418 @key{ESC} is a character used as a prefix for typing Meta characters on
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
419 keyboards lacking a @key{META} key. Unlike the @key{META} key (which,
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diff changeset
420 like the @key{SHIFT} key, is held down while another character is
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421 typed), you press the @key{ESC} key as you would press a letter key, and
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
422 it applies to the next character you type.
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diff changeset
423
38209
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424 @item Expression
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
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parents: 37845
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425 See `balanced expression.'
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
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parents: 37845
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426
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427 @item Expunging
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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parents: 36210
diff changeset
428 Expunging an Rmail file or Dired buffer or a Gnus newsgroup buffer is an
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
429 operation that truly discards the messages or files you have previously
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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diff changeset
430 flagged for deletion.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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diff changeset
431
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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432 @item Face
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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433 A face is a style of displaying characters. It specifies attributes
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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434 such as font family and size, foreground and background colors,
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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parents: 36210
diff changeset
435 underline and strike-through, background stipple, etc. Emacs provides
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
436 features to associate specific faces with portions of buffer text, in
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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diff changeset
437 order to display that text as specified by the face attributes.
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438
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439 @item File Locking
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ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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440 Emacs uses file locking to notice when two different users
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diff changeset
441 start to edit one file at the same time. @xref{Interlocking}.
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442
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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443 @item File Name
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444 A file name is a name that refers to a file. File names may be relative
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
445 or absolute; the meaning of a relative file name depends on the current
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diff changeset
446 directory, but an absolute file name refers to the same file regardless
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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447 of which directory is current. On GNU and Unix systems, an absolute
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
448 file name starts with a slash (the root directory) or with @samp{~/} or
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
449 @samp{~@var{user}/} (a home directory). On MS-Windows/MS-DOS, and
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
450 absolute file name can also start with a drive letter and a colon
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
451 @samp{@var{d}:}.
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452
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
453 Some people use the term ``pathname'' for file names, but we do not;
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
454 we use the word ``path'' only in the term ``search path'' (q.v.@:).
25829
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455
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
456 @item File-Name Component
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
457 A file-name component names a file directly within a particular
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458 directory. On GNU and Unix systems, a file name is a sequence of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
459 file-name components, separated by slashes. For example, @file{foo/bar}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
460 is a file name containing two components, @samp{foo} and @samp{bar}; it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
461 refers to the file named @samp{bar} in the directory named @samp{foo} in
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
462 the current directory. MS-DOS/MS-Windows file names can also use
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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diff changeset
463 backslashes to separate components, as in @file{foo\bar}.
25829
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464
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465 @item Fill Prefix
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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466 The fill prefix is a string that should be expected at the beginning
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diff changeset
467 of each line when filling is done. It is not regarded as part of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
468 text to be filled. @xref{Filling}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
469
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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470 @item Filling
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471 Filling text means shifting text between consecutive lines so that all
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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diff changeset
472 the lines are approximately the same length. @xref{Filling}. Some
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
473 other editors call this feature `line wrapping.'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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474
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
475 @item Font Lock
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
476 Font Lock is a mode that highlights parts of buffer text according to
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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parents: 36210
diff changeset
477 its syntax. @xref{Font Lock}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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parents: 36210
diff changeset
478
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
479 @item Fontset
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
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parents: 36210
diff changeset
480 A fontset is a named collection of fonts. A fontset specification lists
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
481 character sets and which font to use to display each of them. Fontsets
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
482 make it easy to change several fonts at once by specifying the name of a
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
483 fontset, rather than changing each font separately. @xref{Fontsets}.
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484
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
485 @item Formatted Text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
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486 Formatted text is text that displays with formatting information while
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
487 you edit. Formatting information includes fonts, colors, and specified
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
488 margins. @xref{Formatted Text}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
489
36839
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Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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diff changeset
490 @item Formfeed Character
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
491 See `page.'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
492
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493 @item Frame
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diff changeset
494 A frame is a rectangular cluster of Emacs windows. Emacs starts out
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
495 with one frame, but you can create more. You can subdivide each frame
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
496 into Emacs windows (q.v.@:). When you are using a windowing system, all
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
497 the frames can be visible at the same time. @xref{Frames}. Some
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
498 other editors use the term ``window'' for this, but in Emacs a window
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
499 means something else.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
500
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
501 @item Fringe
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
502 On windowed displays, there's a narrow portion of the frame (q.v.@:)
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
503 between the text area and the window's border. Emacs displays the
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
504 fringe using a special face (q.v.@:) called @code{fringe}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
505 @xref{Faces,fringe}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
506
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
507 @item FTP
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
508 FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. Emacs uses an FTP client
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
509 program to provide access to remote files (q.v.@:).
25829
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diff changeset
510
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
511 @item Function Key
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parents:
diff changeset
512 A function key is a key on the keyboard that sends input but does not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
513 correspond to any character. @xref{Function Keys}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
514
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
515 @item Global
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
516 Global means ``independent of the current environment; in effect
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
517 throughout Emacs.'' It is the opposite of local (q.v.@:). Particular
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
518 examples of the use of `global' appear below.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
519
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
520 @item Global Abbrev
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
521 A global definition of an abbrev (q.v.@:) is effective in all major
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
522 modes that do not have local (q.v.@:) definitions for the same abbrev.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
523 @xref{Abbrevs}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
524
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
525 @item Global Keymap
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
526 The global keymap (q.v.@:) contains key bindings that are in effect
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
527 except when overridden by local key bindings in a major mode's local
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
528 keymap (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
529
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
530 @item Global Mark Ring
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
531 The global mark ring records the series of buffers you have recently
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
532 set a mark (q.v.@:) in. In many cases you can use this to backtrack
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
533 through buffers you have been editing in, or in which you have found
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
534 tags (see `tags table'). @xref{Global Mark Ring}.
25829
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parents:
diff changeset
535
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
536 @item Global Substitution
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
537 Global substitution means replacing each occurrence of one string by
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
538 another string throughout a large amount of text. @xref{Replace}.
25829
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parents:
diff changeset
539
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
540 @item Global Variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
541 The global value of a variable (q.v.@:) takes effect in all buffers
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
542 that do not have their own local (q.v.@:) values for the variable.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
543 @xref{Variables}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
544
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
545 @item Graphic Character
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
546 Graphic characters are those assigned pictorial images rather than
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
547 just names. All the non-Meta (q.v.@:) characters except for the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
548 Control (q.v.@:) characters are graphic characters. These include
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
549 letters, digits, punctuation, and spaces; they do not include
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
550 @key{RET} or @key{ESC}. In Emacs, typing a graphic character inserts
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
551 that character (in ordinary editing modes). @xref{Basic,,Basic Editing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
552
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
553 @item Highlighting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
554 Highlighting text means displaying it with a different foreground and/or
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
555 background color to make it stand out from the rest of the text in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
556 buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
557
40589
c44c1b0bdf92 More explanation of "highlighting".
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40015
diff changeset
558 Emacs uses highlighting in several ways. When you mark a region with
c44c1b0bdf92 More explanation of "highlighting".
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40015
diff changeset
559 the mouse, the region is always highlighted. Optionally Emacs can
40615
fe4539abe84e Fix the previous change.
Pavel Janík <Pavel@Janik.cz>
parents: 40601
diff changeset
560 also highlight the region whenever it is active (@pxref{Transient
fe4539abe84e Fix the previous change.
Pavel Janík <Pavel@Janik.cz>
parents: 40601
diff changeset
561 Mark}). Incremental search also highlights matches (@pxref{Incremental
fe4539abe84e Fix the previous change.
Pavel Janík <Pavel@Janik.cz>
parents: 40601
diff changeset
562 Search}). See also `font lock'.
40589
c44c1b0bdf92 More explanation of "highlighting".
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40015
diff changeset
563
25829
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parents:
diff changeset
564 @item Hardcopy
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
565 Hardcopy means printed output. Emacs has commands for making printed
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
566 listings of text in Emacs buffers. @xref{Hardcopy}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
567
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
568 @item @key{HELP}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
569 @key{HELP} is the Emacs name for @kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}. You can type
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
570 @key{HELP} at any time to ask what options you have, or to ask what any
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
571 command does. @xref{Help}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
572
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
573 @item Help Echo
38870
d44abb4e68b2 Don't use "print" for displaying a message.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38745
diff changeset
574 Help echo is a short message displayed in the echo area when the mouse
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
575 pointer is located on portions of display that require some
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
576 explanations. Emacs displays help echo for menu items, parts of the
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
577 mode line, tool-bar buttons, etc. On graphics displays, the messages
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
578 can be displayed as tooltips (q.v.@:). @xref{Tooltips}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
579
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
580 @item Hook
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
581 A hook is a list of functions to be called on specific occasions, such
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
582 as saving a buffer in a file, major mode activation, etc. By
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
583 customizing the various hooks, you can modify Emacs's behavior without
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
584 changing any of its code. @xref{Hooks}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
585
25829
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parents:
diff changeset
586 @item Hyper
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
587 Hyper is the name of a modifier bit which a keyboard input character may
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
588 have. To make a character Hyper, type it while holding down the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
589 @key{HYPER} key. Such characters are given names that start with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
590 @kbd{Hyper-} (usually written @kbd{H-} for short). @xref{User Input,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
591 Hyper}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
592
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
593 @item Inbox
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
594 An inbox is a file in which mail is delivered by the operating system.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
595 Rmail transfers mail from inboxes to Rmail files (q.v.@:) in which the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
596 mail is then stored permanently or until explicitly deleted.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
597 @xref{Rmail Inbox}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
598
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
599 @item Incremental Search
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
600 Emacs provides an incremental search facility, whereby Emacs searches
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
601 for the string as you type it. @xref{Incremental Search}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
602
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
603 @item Indentation
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
604 Indentation means blank space at the beginning of a line. Most
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
605 programming languages have conventions for using indentation to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
606 illuminate the structure of the program, and Emacs has special
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
607 commands to adjust indentation.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
608 @xref{Indentation}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
609
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
610 @item Indirect Buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
611 An indirect buffer is a buffer that shares the text of another buffer,
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
612 called its base buffer (q.v.@:). @xref{Indirect Buffers}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
613
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
614 @item Info
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
615 Info is the hypertext format used by the GNU project for writing
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
616 documentation.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
617
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
618 @item Input Event
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
619 An input event represents, within Emacs, one action taken by the user on
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
620 the terminal. Input events include typing characters, typing function
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
621 keys, pressing or releasing mouse buttons, and switching between Emacs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
622 frames. @xref{User Input}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
623
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
624 @item Input Method
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
625 An input method is a system for entering non-ASCII text characters by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
626 typing sequences of ASCII characters (q.v.@:). @xref{Input Methods}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
627
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
628 @item Insertion
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
629 Insertion means copying text into the buffer, either from the keyboard
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
630 or from some other place in Emacs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
631
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
632 @item Interlocking
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
633 Interlocking is a feature for warning when you start to alter a file
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
634 that someone else is already editing.
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
635 @xref{Interlocking,Interlocking,Simultaneous Editing}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
636
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
637 @item Isearch
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
638 See `incremental search.'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
639
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
640 @item Justification
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
641 Justification means adding extra spaces within lines of text to make
38490
1518ad710658 Fix last changes.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38461
diff changeset
642 them extend exactly to a specified width.
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
643 @xref{Filling,Justification}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
644
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
645 @item Keyboard Macro
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
646 Keyboard macros are a way of defining new Emacs commands from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
647 sequences of existing ones, with no need to write a Lisp program.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
648 @xref{Keyboard Macros}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
649
37712
76c9920b5791 Add an entry for keyboard shortcuts. Suggested by Kai Grossjohann.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36849
diff changeset
650 @cindex keyboard shortcuts
76c9920b5791 Add an entry for keyboard shortcuts. Suggested by Kai Grossjohann.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36849
diff changeset
651 @item Keyboard Shortcut
76c9920b5791 Add an entry for keyboard shortcuts. Suggested by Kai Grossjohann.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36849
diff changeset
652 A keyboard shortcut is a key sequence (q.v.@:) which invokes a
76c9920b5791 Add an entry for keyboard shortcuts. Suggested by Kai Grossjohann.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36849
diff changeset
653 command. What other programs call ``assign a keyboard shortcut''
76c9920b5791 Add an entry for keyboard shortcuts. Suggested by Kai Grossjohann.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36849
diff changeset
654 Emacs calls ``bind a key sequence''. See `binding.'
76c9920b5791 Add an entry for keyboard shortcuts. Suggested by Kai Grossjohann.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36849
diff changeset
655
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
656 @item Key Sequence
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
657 A key sequence (key, for short) is a sequence of input events (q.v.@:)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
658 that are meaningful as a single unit. If the key sequence is enough to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
659 specify one action, it is a complete key (q.v.@:); if it is not enough,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
660 it is a prefix key (q.v.@:). @xref{Keys}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
661
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
662 @item Keymap
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
663 The keymap is the data structure that records the bindings (q.v.@:) of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
664 key sequences to the commands that they run. For example, the global
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
665 keymap binds the character @kbd{C-n} to the command function
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
666 @code{next-line}. @xref{Keymaps}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
667
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
668 @item Keyboard Translation Table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
669 The keyboard translation table is an array that translates the character
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
670 codes that come from the terminal into the character codes that make up
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
671 key sequences. @xref{Keyboard Translations}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
672
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
673 @item Kill Ring
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
674 The kill ring is where all text you have killed recently is saved.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
675 You can reinsert any of the killed text still in the ring; this is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
676 called yanking (q.v.@:). @xref{Yanking}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
677
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
678 @item Killing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
679 Killing means erasing text and saving it on the kill ring so it can be
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
680 yanked (q.v.@:) later. Some other systems call this ``cutting.''
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
681 Most Emacs commands that erase text perform killing, as opposed to
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
682 deletion (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
683
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
684 @item Killing a Job
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
685 Killing a job (such as, an invocation of Emacs) means making it cease
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
686 to exist. Any data within it, if not saved in a file, is lost.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
687 @xref{Exiting}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
688
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
689 @item Language Environment
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
690 Your choice of language environment specifies defaults for the input
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
691 method (q.v.@:) and coding system (q.v.@:). @xref{Language
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
692 Environments}. These defaults are relevant if you edit non-ASCII text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
693 (@pxref{International}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
694
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
695 @item Line Wrapping
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
696 See `filling.'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
697
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
698 @item Lisp
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
699 Lisp is a programming language. Most of Emacs is written in a dialect
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
700 of Lisp, called Emacs Lisp, that is extended with special features which
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
701 make it especially suitable for text editing tasks.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
702
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
703 @item List
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
704 A list is, approximately, a text string beginning with an open
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
705 parenthesis and ending with the matching close parenthesis. In C mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
706 and other non-Lisp modes, groupings surrounded by other kinds of matched
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
707 delimiters appropriate to the language, such as braces, are also
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
708 considered lists. Emacs has special commands for many operations on
38209
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
709 lists. @xref{Moving by Parens}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
710
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
711 @item Local
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
712 Local means ``in effect only in a particular context''; the relevant
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
713 kind of context is a particular function execution, a particular
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
714 buffer, or a particular major mode. It is the opposite of `global'
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
715 (q.v.@:). Specific uses of `local' in Emacs terminology appear below.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
716
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
717 @item Local Abbrev
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
718 A local abbrev definition is effective only if a particular major mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
719 is selected. In that major mode, it overrides any global definition
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
720 for the same abbrev. @xref{Abbrevs}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
721
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
722 @item Local Keymap
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
723 A local keymap is used in a particular major mode; the key bindings
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
724 (q.v.@:) in the current local keymap override global bindings of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
725 same key sequences. @xref{Keymaps}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
726
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
727 @item Local Variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
728 A local value of a variable (q.v.@:) applies to only one buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
729 @xref{Locals}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
730
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
731 @item @kbd{M-}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
732 @kbd{M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for @key{META},
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
733 one of the modifier keys that can accompany any character.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
734 @xref{User Input}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
735
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
736 @item @kbd{M-C-}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
737 @kbd{M-C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
738 Control-Meta; it means the same thing as @kbd{C-M-}. If your
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
739 terminal lacks a real @key{META} key, you type a Control-Meta character by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
740 typing @key{ESC} and then typing the corresponding Control character.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
741 @xref{User Input,C-M-}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
742
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
743 @item @kbd{M-x}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
744 @kbd{M-x} is the key sequence which is used to call an Emacs command by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
745 name. This is how you run commands that are not bound to key sequences.
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
746 @xref{M-x,M-x,Running Commands by Name}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
747
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
748 @item Mail
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
749 Mail means messages sent from one user to another through the computer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
750 system, to be read at the recipient's convenience. Emacs has commands for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
751 composing and sending mail, and for reading and editing the mail you have
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
752 received. @xref{Sending Mail}. @xref{Rmail}, for how to read mail.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
753
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
754 @item Mail Composition Method
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
755 A mail composition method is a program runnable within Emacs for editing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
756 and sending a mail message. Emacs lets you select from several
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
757 alternative mail composition methods. @xref{Mail Methods}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
758
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
759 @item Major Mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
760 The Emacs major modes are a mutually exclusive set of options, each of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
761 which configures Emacs for editing a certain sort of text. Ideally,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
762 each programming language has its own major mode. @xref{Major Modes}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
763
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
764 @item Mark
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
765 The mark points to a position in the text. It specifies one end of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
766 region (q.v.@:), point being the other end. Many commands operate on
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
767 all the text from point to the mark. Each buffer has its own mark.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
768 @xref{Mark}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
769
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
770 @item Mark Ring
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
771 The mark ring is used to hold several recent previous locations of the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
772 mark, just in case you want to move back to them. Each buffer has its
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
773 own mark ring; in addition, there is a single global mark ring (q.v.@:).
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
774 @xref{Mark Ring}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
775
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
776 @item Menu Bar
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
777 The menu bar is the line at the top of an Emacs frame. It contains
33746
e7c4d54b3991 *** empty log message ***
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
778 words you can click on with the mouse to bring up menus, or you can use
e7c4d54b3991 *** empty log message ***
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
779 a keyboard interface to navigate it. @xref{Menu Bars}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
780
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
781 @item Message
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
782 See `mail.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
783
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
784 @item Meta
40732
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
785 Meta is the name of a modifier bit which you can use in a command
40763
f336a6703f79 Explain that DEL deletes backwards.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40732
diff changeset
786 character. To enter a meta character, you hold down the @key{META}
f336a6703f79 Explain that DEL deletes backwards.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40732
diff changeset
787 key while typing the character. We refer to such characters with
f336a6703f79 Explain that DEL deletes backwards.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40732
diff changeset
788 names that start with @kbd{Meta-} (usually written @kbd{M-} for
40732
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
789 short). For example, @kbd{M-<} is typed by holding down @key{META}
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
790 and at the same time typing @kbd{<} (which itself is done, on most
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
791 terminals, by holding down @key{SHIFT} and typing @kbd{,}).
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
792 @xref{User Input,Meta}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
793
40763
f336a6703f79 Explain that DEL deletes backwards.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40732
diff changeset
794 On some terminals, the @key{META} key is actually labeled @key{ALT}
f336a6703f79 Explain that DEL deletes backwards.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40732
diff changeset
795 or @key{EDIT}.
f336a6703f79 Explain that DEL deletes backwards.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40732
diff changeset
796
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
797 @item Meta Character
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
798 A Meta character is one whose character code includes the Meta bit.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
799
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
800 @item Minibuffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
801 The minibuffer is the window that appears when necessary inside the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
802 echo area (q.v.@:), used for reading arguments to commands.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
803 @xref{Minibuffer}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
804
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
805 @item Minibuffer History
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
806 The minibuffer history records the text you have specified in the past
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
807 for minibuffer arguments, so you can conveniently use the same text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
808 again. @xref{Minibuffer History}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
809
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
810 @item Minor Mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
811 A minor mode is an optional feature of Emacs which can be switched on
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
812 or off independently of all other features. Each minor mode has a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
813 command to turn it on or off. @xref{Minor Modes}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
814
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
815 @item Minor Mode Keymap
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
816 A minor mode keymap is a keymap that belongs to a minor mode and is
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
817 active when that mode is enabled. Minor mode keymaps take precedence
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
818 over the buffer's local keymap, just as the local keymap takes
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
819 precedence over the global keymap. @xref{Keymaps}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
820
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
821 @item Mode Line
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
822 The mode line is the line at the bottom of each window (q.v.@:), giving
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
823 status information on the buffer displayed in that window. @xref{Mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
824 Line}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
825
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
826 @item Modified Buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
827 A buffer (q.v.@:) is modified if its text has been changed since the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
828 last time the buffer was saved (or since when it was created, if it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
829 has never been saved). @xref{Saving}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
830
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
831 @item Moving Text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
832 Moving text means erasing it from one place and inserting it in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
833 another. The usual way to move text by killing (q.v.@:) and then
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
834 yanking (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
835
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
836 @item MULE
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
837 MULE refers to the Emacs features for editing multilingual non-ASCII text
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
838 using multibyte characters (q.v.@:). @xref{International}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
839
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
840 @item Multibyte Character
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
841 A multibyte character is a character that takes up several bytes in a
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
842 buffer. Emacs uses multibyte characters to represent non-ASCII text,
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
843 since the number of non-ASCII characters is much more than 256.
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
844 @xref{International Chars, International Characters}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
845
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
846 @item Named Mark
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
847 A named mark is a register (q.v.@:) in its role of recording a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
848 location in text so that you can move point to that location.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
849 @xref{Registers}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
850
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
851 @item Narrowing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
852 Narrowing means creating a restriction (q.v.@:) that limits editing in
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
853 the current buffer to only a part of the text in the buffer. Text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
854 outside that part is inaccessible to the user until the boundaries are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
855 widened again, but it is still there, and saving the file saves it
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
856 all. @xref{Narrowing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
857
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
858 @item Newline
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
859 Control-J characters in the buffer terminate lines of text and are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
860 therefore also called newlines. @xref{Text Characters,Newline}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
861
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
862 @cindex nil
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
863 @cindex t
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
864 @item @code{nil}
36849
96998dbd0015 (Glossary): Fix last change.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36839
diff changeset
865 @code{nil} is a value usually interpreted as a logical ``false.'' Its
96998dbd0015 (Glossary): Fix last change.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36839
diff changeset
866 opposite is @code{t}, interpreted as ``true.''
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
867
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
868 @item Numeric Argument
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
869 A numeric argument is a number, specified before a command, to change
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
870 the effect of the command. Often the numeric argument serves as a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
871 repeat count. @xref{Arguments}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
872
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
873 @item Overwrite Mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
874 Overwrite mode is a minor mode. When it is enabled, ordinary text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
875 characters replace the existing text after point rather than pushing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
876 it to the right. @xref{Minor Modes}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
877
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
878 @item Page
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
879 A page is a unit of text, delimited by formfeed characters (ASCII
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
880 control-L, code 014) coming at the beginning of a line. Some Emacs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
881 commands are provided for moving over and operating on pages.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
882 @xref{Pages}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
883
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
884 @item Paragraph
36158
e30a5b375c97 Add Tool Bar. Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 33746
diff changeset
885 Paragraphs are the medium-size unit of human-language text. There are
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
886 special Emacs commands for moving over and operating on paragraphs.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
887 @xref{Paragraphs}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
888
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
889 @item Parsing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
890 We say that certain Emacs commands parse words or expressions in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
891 text being edited. Really, all they know how to do is find the other
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
892 end of a word or expression. @xref{Syntax}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
893
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
894 @item Point
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
895 Point is the place in the buffer at which insertion and deletion
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
896 occur. Point is considered to be between two characters, not at one
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
897 character. The terminal's cursor (q.v.@:) indicates the location of
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
898 point. @xref{Basic,Point,Basic Editing}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
899
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
900 @item Prefix Argument
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
901 See `numeric argument.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
902
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
903 @item Prefix Key
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
904 A prefix key is a key sequence (q.v.@:) whose sole function is to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
905 introduce a set of longer key sequences. @kbd{C-x} is an example of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
906 prefix key; any two-character sequence starting with @kbd{C-x} is
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
907 therefore a legitimate key sequence. @xref{Keys}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
908
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
909 @item Primary Rmail File
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
910 Your primary Rmail file is the file named @samp{RMAIL} in your home
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
911 directory. That's where Rmail stores your incoming mail, unless you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
912 specify a different file name. @xref{Rmail}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
913
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
914 @item Primary Selection
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
915 The primary selection is one particular X selection (q.v.@:); it is the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
916 selection that most X applications use for transferring text to and from
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
917 other applications.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
918
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
919 The Emacs kill commands set the primary selection and the yank command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
920 uses the primary selection when appropriate. @xref{Killing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
921
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
922 @item Prompt
38870
d44abb4e68b2 Don't use "print" for displaying a message.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38745
diff changeset
923 A prompt is text used to ask the user for input. Displaying a prompt
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
924 is called prompting. Emacs prompts always appear in the echo area
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
925 (q.v.@:). One kind of prompting happens when the minibuffer is used to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
926 read an argument (@pxref{Minibuffer}); the echoing which happens when
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
927 you pause in the middle of typing a multi-character key sequence is also
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
928 a kind of prompting (@pxref{Echo Area}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
929
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
930 @item Query-Replace
36849
96998dbd0015 (Glossary): Fix last change.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36839
diff changeset
931 Query-replace is an interactive string replacement feature provided by
96998dbd0015 (Glossary): Fix last change.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36839
diff changeset
932 Emacs. @xref{Query Replace}.
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
933
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
934 @item Quitting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
935 Quitting means canceling a partially typed command or a running
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
936 command, using @kbd{C-g} (or @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} on MS-DOS). @xref{Quitting}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
937
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
938 @item Quoting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
939 Quoting means depriving a character of its usual special significance.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
940 The most common kind of quoting in Emacs is with @kbd{C-q}. What
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
941 constitutes special significance depends on the context and on
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
942 convention. For example, an ``ordinary'' character as an Emacs command
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
943 inserts itself; so in this context, a special character is any character
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
944 that does not normally insert itself (such as @key{DEL}, for example),
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
945 and quoting it makes it insert itself as if it were not special. Not
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
946 all contexts allow quoting. @xref{Basic,Quoting,Basic Editing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
947
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
948 @item Quoting File Names
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
949 Quoting a file name turns off the special significance of constructs
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
950 such as @samp{$}, @samp{~} and @samp{:}. @xref{Quoted File Names}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
951
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
952 @item Read-Only Buffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
953 A read-only buffer is one whose text you are not allowed to change.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
954 Normally Emacs makes buffers read-only when they contain text which
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
955 has a special significance to Emacs; for example, Dired buffers.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
956 Visiting a file that is write-protected also makes a read-only buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
957 @xref{Buffers}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
958
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
959 @item Rectangle
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
960 A rectangle consists of the text in a given range of columns on a given
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
961 range of lines. Normally you specify a rectangle by putting point at
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
962 one corner and putting the mark at the diagonally opposite corner.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
963 @xref{Rectangles}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
964
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
965 @item Recursive Editing Level
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
966 A recursive editing level is a state in which part of the execution of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
967 a command involves asking the user to edit some text. This text may
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
968 or may not be the same as the text to which the command was applied.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
969 The mode line indicates recursive editing levels with square brackets
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
970 (@samp{[} and @samp{]}). @xref{Recursive Edit}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
971
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
972 @item Redisplay
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
973 Redisplay is the process of correcting the image on the screen to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
974 correspond to changes that have been made in the text being edited.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
975 @xref{Screen,Redisplay}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
976
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
977 @item Regexp
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
978 See `regular expression.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
979
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
980 @item Region
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
981 The region is the text between point (q.v.@:) and the mark (q.v.@:).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
982 Many commands operate on the text of the region. @xref{Mark,Region}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
983
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
984 @item Registers
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
985 Registers are named slots in which text or buffer positions or
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
986 rectangles can be saved for later use. @xref{Registers}. A related
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
987 Emacs feature is `bookmarks' (q.v.@:).
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
988
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
989 @item Regular Expression
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
990 A regular expression is a pattern that can match various text strings;
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
991 for example, @samp{a[0-9]+} matches @samp{a} followed by one or more
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
992 digits. @xref{Regexps}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
993
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
994 @item Remote File
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
995 A remote file is a file that is stored on a system other than your own.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
996 Emacs can access files on other computers provided that they are
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
997 connected to the same network as your machine, and (obviously) that
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
998 you have a supported method to gain access to those files.
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
999 @xref{Remote Files}.
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1000
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1001 @item Repeat Count
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
1002 See `numeric argument.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1003
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1004 @item Replacement
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
1005 See `global substitution.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1006
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1007 @item Restriction
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1008 A buffer's restriction is the amount of text, at the beginning or the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1009 end of the buffer, that is temporarily inaccessible. Giving a buffer a
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1010 nonzero amount of restriction is called narrowing (q.v.@:); removing
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1011 a restriction is called widening (q.v.@:). @xref{Narrowing}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1012
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1013 @item @key{RET}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1014 @key{RET} is a character that in Emacs runs the command to insert a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1015 newline into the text. It is also used to terminate most arguments
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1016 read in the minibuffer (q.v.@:). @xref{User Input,Return}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1017
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1018 @item Reverting
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1019 Reverting means returning to the original state. Emacs lets you
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1020 revert a buffer by re-reading its file from disk. @xref{Reverting}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1021
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1022 @item Rmail File
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1023 An Rmail file is a file containing text in a special format used by
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1024 Rmail for storing mail. @xref{Rmail}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1025
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1026 @item Saving
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1027 Saving a buffer means copying its text into the file that was visited
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1028 (q.v.@:) in that buffer. This is the way text in files actually gets
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1029 changed by your Emacs editing. @xref{Saving}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1030
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1031 @item Scroll Bar
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1032 A scroll bar is a tall thin hollow box that appears at the side of a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1033 window. You can use mouse commands in the scroll bar to scroll the
33746
e7c4d54b3991 *** empty log message ***
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
1034 window. The scroll bar feature is supported only under windowing
e7c4d54b3991 *** empty log message ***
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents: 25829
diff changeset
1035 systems. @xref{Scroll Bars}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1036
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1037 @item Scrolling
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1038 Scrolling means shifting the text in the Emacs window so as to see a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1039 different part of the buffer. @xref{Display,Scrolling}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1040
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1041 @item Searching
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1042 Searching means moving point to the next occurrence of a specified
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1043 string or the next match for a specified regular expression.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1044 @xref{Search}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1045
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1046 @item Search Path
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1047 A search path is a list of directory names, to be used for searching for
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1048 files for certain purposes. For example, the variable @code{load-path}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1049 holds a search path for finding Lisp library files. @xref{Lisp Libraries}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1050
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1051 @item Secondary Selection
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1052 The secondary selection is one particular X selection; some X
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1053 applications can use it for transferring text to and from other
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1054 applications. Emacs has special mouse commands for transferring text
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1055 using the secondary selection. @xref{Secondary Selection}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1056
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1057 @item Selecting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1058 Selecting a buffer means making it the current (q.v.@:) buffer.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1059 @xref{Buffers,Selecting}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1060
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1061 @item Selection
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1062 Windowing systems allow an application program to specify
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1063 selections whose values are text. A program can also read the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1064 selections that other programs have set up. This is the principal way
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1065 of transferring text between window applications. Emacs has commands to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1066 work with the primary (q.v.@:) selection and the secondary (q.v.@:)
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1067 selection, and also with the clipboard (q.v.@:).
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1068
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1069 @item Self-Documentation
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1070 Self-documentation is the feature of Emacs which can tell you what any
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1071 command does, or give you a list of all commands related to a topic
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1072 you specify. You ask for self-documentation with the help character,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1073 @kbd{C-h}. @xref{Help}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1074
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1075 @item Self-Inserting Character
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1076 A character is self-inserting if typing that character inserts that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1077 character in the buffer. Ordinary printing and whitespace characters
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1078 are self-inserting in Emacs, except in certain special major modes.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1079
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1080 @item Sentences
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1081 Emacs has commands for moving by or killing by sentences.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1082 @xref{Sentences}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1083
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1084 @item Sexp
38209
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
1085 A sexp (short for ``s-expression'') is the basic syntactic unit of
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
1086 Lisp in its textual form: either a list, or Lisp atom. Sexps are also
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
1087 the balanced expressions (q.v.@:) of the Lisp language; this is why
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
1088 the commands for editing balanced expressions have `sexp' in their
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
1089 name. @xref{Expressions,Sexps}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1090
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1091 @item Simultaneous Editing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1092 Simultaneous editing means two users modifying the same file at once.
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
1093 Simultaneous editing, if not detected, can cause one user to lose his
38745
5464ee1ba8e2 Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38490
diff changeset
1094 or her work. Emacs detects all cases of simultaneous editing, and
5464ee1ba8e2 Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 38490
diff changeset
1095 warns one of the users to investigate.
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1096 @xref{Interlocking,Interlocking,Simultaneous Editing}.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1097
40732
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1098 @item @key{SPC}
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1099 @key{SPC} is the space character, which you enter by pressing the
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1100 space bar.
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1101
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1102 @item Speedbar
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1103 Speedbar is a special tall frame that provides fast access to Emacs
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1104 buffers, functions within those buffers, Info nodes, and other
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1105 interesting parts of text within Emacs. @xref{Speedbar}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1106
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1107 @item Spell Checking
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1108 Spell checking means checking correctness of the written form of each
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1109 one of the words in a text. Emacs uses the Ispell spelling-checker
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1110 program to check the spelling of parts of a buffer via a convenient user
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1111 interface. @xref{Spelling}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1112
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1113 @item String
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1114 A string is a kind of Lisp data object which contains a sequence of
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1115 characters. Many Emacs variables are intended to have strings as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1116 values. The Lisp syntax for a string consists of the characters in the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1117 string with a @samp{"} before and another @samp{"} after. A @samp{"}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1118 that is part of the string must be written as @samp{\"} and a @samp{\}
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1119 that is part of the string must be written as @samp{\\}. All other
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1120 characters, including newline, can be included just by writing them
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1121 inside the string; however, backslash sequences as in C, such as
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1122 @samp{\n} for newline or @samp{\241} using an octal character code, are
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1123 allowed as well.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1124
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1125 @item String Substitution
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1126 See `global substitution'.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1127
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1128 @item Syntax Highlighting
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1129 See `font lock.'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1130
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1131 @item Syntax Table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1132 The syntax table tells Emacs which characters are part of a word,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1133 which characters balance each other like parentheses, etc.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1134 @xref{Syntax}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1135
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1136 @item Super
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1137 Super is the name of a modifier bit which a keyboard input character may
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1138 have. To make a character Super, type it while holding down the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1139 @key{SUPER} key. Such characters are given names that start with
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1140 @kbd{Super-} (usually written @kbd{s-} for short). @xref{User Input,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1141 Super}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1142
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1143 @item Suspending
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1144 Suspending Emacs means stopping it temporarily and returning control
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1145 to its parent process, which is usually a shell. Unlike killing a job
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1146 (q.v.@:), you can later resume the suspended Emacs job without losing
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1147 your buffers, unsaved edits, undo history, etc. @xref{Exiting}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1148
40732
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1149 @item @key{TAB}
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1150 @key{TAB} is the tab character. In Emacs it is typically used for
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1151 indentation or completion.
74a8e2849d25 Add SPC, TAB, CTRL. Update DEL and Meta.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 40615
diff changeset
1152
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1153 @item Tags Table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1154 A tags table is a file that serves as an index to the function
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1155 definitions in one or more other files. @xref{Tags}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1156
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1157 @item Termscript File
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1158 A termscript file contains a record of all characters sent by Emacs to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1159 the terminal. It is used for tracking down bugs in Emacs redisplay.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1160 Emacs does not make a termscript file unless you tell it to.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1161 @xref{Bugs}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1162
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1163 @item Text
38461
23f63206a867 Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <chris_e_green@yahoo.com>.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 38209
diff changeset
1164 `Text' has two meanings (@pxref{Text}):
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1165
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1166 @itemize @bullet
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1167 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1168 Data consisting of a sequence of characters, as opposed to binary
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1169 numbers, executable programs, and the like. The basic contents of an
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1170 Emacs buffer (aside from the text properties, q.v.@:) are always text
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1171 in this sense.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1172 @item
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1173 Data consisting of written human language, as opposed to programs,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1174 or following the stylistic conventions of human language.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1175 @end itemize
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1176
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1177 @item Text-only Terminal
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1178 A text-only terminal is a display that is limited to displaying text in
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1179 character units. Such a terminal cannot control individual pixels it
36849
96998dbd0015 (Glossary): Fix last change.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36839
diff changeset
1180 displays. Emacs supports a subset of display features on text-only
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1181 terminals.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1182
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1183 @item Text Properties
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1184 Text properties are annotations recorded for particular characters in
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1185 the buffer. Images in the buffer are recorded as text properties;
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1186 they also specify formatting information. @xref{Editing Format Info}.
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1187
36158
e30a5b375c97 Add Tool Bar. Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 33746
diff changeset
1188 @item Tool Bar
e30a5b375c97 Add Tool Bar. Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 33746
diff changeset
1189 The tool bar is a line (sometimes multiple lines) of icons at the top
e30a5b375c97 Add Tool Bar. Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 33746
diff changeset
1190 of an Emacs frame. Clicking on one of these icons executes a command.
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1191 You can think of this as a graphical relative of the menu bar (q.v.@:).
36210
6041f567600f Fix xref to Tool Bars.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36184
diff changeset
1192 @xref{Tool Bars}.
36158
e30a5b375c97 Add Tool Bar. Minor cleanups.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 33746
diff changeset
1193
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1194 @item Tooltips
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1195 Tooltips are small windows displaying a help echo (q.v.@:) text that
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1196 explains parts of the display, lists useful options available via mouse
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1197 clicks, etc. @xref{Tooltips}.
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1198
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1199 @item Top Level
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1200 Top level is the normal state of Emacs, in which you are editing the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1201 text of the file you have visited. You are at top level whenever you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1202 are not in a recursive editing level (q.v.@:) or the minibuffer
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1203 (q.v.@:), and not in the middle of a command. You can get back to top
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1204 level by aborting (q.v.@:) and quitting (q.v.@:). @xref{Quitting}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1205
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1206 @item Transposition
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1207 Transposing two units of text means putting each one into the place
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1208 formerly occupied by the other. There are Emacs commands to transpose
38209
4ad633feb6bf Add Balanced Expressions.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37845
diff changeset
1209 two adjacent characters, words, balanced expressions (q.v.@:) or lines
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1210 (@pxref{Transpose}).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1211
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1212 @item Truncation
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1213 Truncating text lines in the display means leaving out any text on a
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1214 line that does not fit within the right margin of the window
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
1215 displaying it. See also `continuation line.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1216 @xref{Basic,Truncation,Basic Editing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1217
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1218 @item TTY
36849
96998dbd0015 (Glossary): Fix last change.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36839
diff changeset
1219 See `text-only terminal.'
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1220
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1221 @item Undoing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1222 Undoing means making your previous editing go in reverse, bringing
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1223 back the text that existed earlier in the editing session.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1224 @xref{Undo}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1225
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1226 @item User Option
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1227 A user option is a variable (q.v.@:) that exists so that you can customize
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1228 Emacs by setting it to a new value. @xref{Variables}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1229
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1230 @item Variable
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1231 A variable is an object in Lisp that can store an arbitrary value.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1232 Emacs uses some variables for internal purposes, and has others (known
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1233 as `user options' (q.v.@:)) just so that you can set their values to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1234 control the behavior of Emacs. The variables used in Emacs that you
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1235 are likely to be interested in are listed in the Variables Index in
37845
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1236 this manual (@pxref{Variable Index}). @xref{Variables}, for
ece336c2aab9 Add Text Properties item.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 37712
diff changeset
1237 information on variables.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1238
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1239 @item Version Control
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1240 Version control systems keep track of multiple versions of a source file.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1241 They provide a more powerful alternative to keeping backup files (q.v.@:).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1242 @xref{Version Control}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1243
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1244 @item Visiting
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1245 Visiting a file means loading its contents into a buffer (q.v.@:)
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1246 where they can be edited. @xref{Visiting}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1247
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1248 @item Whitespace
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1249 Whitespace is any run of consecutive formatting characters (space,
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1250 tab, newline, and backspace).
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1251
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1252 @item Widening
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1253 Widening is removing any restriction (q.v.@:) on the current buffer;
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1254 it is the opposite of narrowing (q.v.@:). @xref{Narrowing}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1255
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1256 @item Window
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1257 Emacs divides a frame (q.v.@:) into one or more windows, each of which
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1258 can display the contents of one buffer (q.v.@:) at any time.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1259 @xref{Screen}, for basic information on how Emacs uses the screen.
36839
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1260 @xref{Windows}, for commands to control the use of windows. Some
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1261 other editors use the term ``window'' for what we call a `frame'
3919e7300eea (Glossary): Updated for Emacs 21, with comments from Richard Stallman.
Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
parents: 36210
diff changeset
1262 (q.v.@:) in Emacs.
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1263
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1264 @item Word Abbrev
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
1265 See `abbrev.'
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1266
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1267 @item Word Search
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1268 Word search is searching for a sequence of words, considering the
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1269 punctuation between them as insignificant. @xref{Word Search}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1270
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1271 @item WYSIWYG
36184
100feeadb597 Make quoting more uniform.
Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
parents: 36158
diff changeset
1272 WYSIWYG stands for ``What you see is what you get.'' Emacs generally
25829
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1273 provides WYSIWYG editing for files of characters; in Enriched mode
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1274 (@pxref{Formatted Text}), it provides WYSIWYG editing for files that
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1275 include text formatting information.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1276
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1277 @item Yanking
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1278 Yanking means reinserting text previously killed. It can be used to
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1279 undo a mistaken kill, or for copying or moving text. Some other
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1280 systems call this ``pasting.'' @xref{Yanking}.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1281 @end table
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
diff changeset
1282