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author | Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> |
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date | Tue, 17 Oct 2000 15:55:09 +0000 |
parents | 9ab15b2742ba |
children | 797566a752f7 |
rev | line source |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
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Reference column-number-mode, hl-line-mode, blink-cursor-mode.
Dave Love <fx@gnu.org>
parents:
25829
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changeset
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
25829 | 3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
4 @node Basic, Minibuffer, Exiting, Top | |
5 @chapter Basic Editing Commands | |
6 | |
7 @kindex C-h t | |
8 @findex help-with-tutorial | |
9 We now give the basics of how to enter text, make corrections, and | |
10 save the text in a file. If this material is new to you, you might | |
11 learn it more easily by running the Emacs learn-by-doing tutorial. To | |
12 use the tutorial, run Emacs and type @kbd{Control-h t} | |
13 (@code{help-with-tutorial}). | |
14 | |
15 To clear the screen and redisplay, type @kbd{C-l} (@code{recenter}). | |
16 | |
17 @menu | |
18 | |
19 * Inserting Text:: Inserting text by simply typing it. | |
20 * Moving Point:: How to move the cursor to the place where you want to | |
21 change something. | |
22 * Erasing:: Deleting and killing text. | |
23 * Undo:: Undoing recent changes in the text. | |
24 * Files: Basic Files. Visiting, creating, and saving files. | |
25 * Help: Basic Help. Asking what a character does. | |
26 * Blank Lines:: Commands to make or delete blank lines. | |
27 * Continuation Lines:: Lines too wide for the screen. | |
28 * Position Info:: What page, line, row, or column is point on? | |
29 * Arguments:: Numeric arguments for repeating a command. | |
30 * Repeating:: A short-cut for repeating the previous command. | |
31 @end menu | |
32 | |
33 @node Inserting Text | |
34 @section Inserting Text | |
35 | |
36 @cindex insertion | |
37 @cindex graphic characters | |
38 To insert printing characters into the text you are editing, just type | |
39 them. This inserts the characters you type into the buffer at the | |
40 cursor (that is, at @dfn{point}; @pxref{Point}). The cursor moves | |
41 forward, and any text after the cursor moves forward too. If the text | |
42 in the buffer is @samp{FOOBAR}, with the cursor before the @samp{B}, | |
43 then if you type @kbd{XX}, you get @samp{FOOXXBAR}, with the cursor | |
44 still before the @samp{B}. | |
45 | |
46 To @dfn{delete} text you have just inserted, use @key{DEL}. @key{DEL} | |
47 deletes the character @emph{before} the cursor (not the one that the cursor | |
48 is on top of or under; that is the character @var{after} the cursor). The | |
49 cursor and all characters after it move backwards. Therefore, if you type | |
50 a printing character and then type @key{DEL}, they cancel out. | |
51 | |
52 @kindex RET | |
53 @cindex newline | |
54 To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}. This | |
55 inserts a newline character in the buffer. If point is in the middle of | |
56 a line, @key{RET} splits the line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is | |
57 at the beginning of a line deletes the preceding newline, thus joining | |
58 the line with the preceding line. | |
59 | |
60 Emacs can split lines automatically when they become too long, if you | |
61 turn on a special minor mode called @dfn{Auto Fill} mode. | |
62 @xref{Filling}, for how to use Auto Fill mode. | |
63 | |
64 If you prefer to have text characters replace (overwrite) existing | |
65 text rather than shove it to the right, you can enable Overwrite mode, | |
66 a minor mode. @xref{Minor Modes}. | |
67 | |
68 @cindex quoting | |
69 @kindex C-q | |
70 @findex quoted-insert | |
71 Direct insertion works for printing characters and @key{SPC}, but other | |
72 characters act as editing commands and do not insert themselves. If you | |
73 need to insert a control character or a character whose code is above 200 | |
74 octal, you must @dfn{quote} it by typing the character @kbd{Control-q} | |
75 (@code{quoted-insert}) first. (This character's name is normally written | |
76 @kbd{C-q} for short.) There are two ways to use @kbd{C-q}:@refill | |
77 | |
78 @itemize @bullet | |
79 @item | |
80 @kbd{C-q} followed by any non-graphic character (even @kbd{C-g}) | |
81 inserts that character. | |
82 | |
83 @item | |
84 @kbd{C-q} followed by a sequence of octal digits inserts the character | |
85 with the specified octal character code. You can use any number of | |
86 octal digits; any non-digit terminates the sequence. If the terminating | |
87 character is @key{RET}, it serves only to terminate the sequence; any | |
88 other non-digit is itself used as input after terminating the sequence. | |
89 (The use of octal sequences is disabled in ordinary non-binary Overwrite | |
90 mode, to give you a convenient way to insert a digit instead of | |
91 overwriting with it.) | |
92 @end itemize | |
93 | |
94 @noindent | |
95 When multibyte characters are enabled, octal codes 0200 through 0377 are | |
96 not valid as characters; if you specify a code in this range, @kbd{C-q} | |
97 assumes that you intend to use some ISO Latin-@var{n} character set, and | |
98 converts the specified code to the corresponding Emacs character code. | |
99 @xref{Enabling Multibyte}. You select @emph{which} ISO Latin character | |
100 set though your choice of language environment (@pxref{Language | |
101 Environments}). | |
102 | |
103 @vindex read-quoted-char-radix | |
104 To use decimal or hexadecimal instead of octal, set the variable | |
105 @code{read-quoted-char-radix} to 10 or 16. If the radix is greater than | |
106 10, some letters starting with @kbd{a} serve as part of a character | |
107 code, just like digits. | |
108 | |
109 A numeric argument to @kbd{C-q} specifies how many copies of the | |
110 quoted character should be inserted (@pxref{Arguments}). | |
111 | |
112 @findex newline | |
113 @findex self-insert | |
114 Customization information: @key{DEL} in most modes runs the command | |
115 @code{delete-backward-char}; @key{RET} runs the command @code{newline}, and | |
116 self-inserting printing characters run the command @code{self-insert}, | |
117 which inserts whatever character was typed to invoke it. Some major modes | |
118 rebind @key{DEL} to other commands. | |
119 | |
120 @node Moving Point | |
121 @section Changing the Location of Point | |
122 | |
123 @cindex arrow keys | |
124 @kindex LEFT | |
125 @kindex RIGHT | |
126 @kindex UP | |
127 @kindex DOWN | |
128 @cindex moving point | |
129 @cindex movement | |
130 @cindex cursor motion | |
131 @cindex moving the cursor | |
132 To do more than insert characters, you have to know how to move point | |
133 (@pxref{Point}). The simplest way to do this is with arrow keys, or by | |
134 clicking the left mouse button where you want to move to. | |
135 | |
136 There are also control and meta characters for cursor motion. Some | |
137 are equivalent to the arrow keys (these date back to the days before | |
138 terminals had arrow keys, and are usable on terminals which don't have | |
139 them). Others do more sophisticated things. | |
140 | |
141 @kindex C-a | |
142 @kindex C-e | |
143 @kindex C-f | |
144 @kindex C-b | |
145 @kindex C-n | |
146 @kindex C-p | |
147 @kindex M-> | |
148 @kindex M-< | |
149 @kindex M-r | |
150 @findex beginning-of-line | |
151 @findex end-of-line | |
152 @findex forward-char | |
153 @findex backward-char | |
154 @findex next-line | |
155 @findex previous-line | |
156 @findex beginning-of-buffer | |
157 @findex end-of-buffer | |
158 @findex goto-char | |
159 @findex goto-line | |
160 @findex move-to-window-line | |
161 @table @kbd | |
162 @item C-a | |
163 Move to the beginning of the line (@code{beginning-of-line}). | |
164 @item C-e | |
165 Move to the end of the line (@code{end-of-line}). | |
166 @item C-f | |
167 Move forward one character (@code{forward-char}). | |
168 @item C-b | |
169 Move backward one character (@code{backward-char}). | |
170 @item M-f | |
171 Move forward one word (@code{forward-word}). | |
172 @item M-b | |
173 Move backward one word (@code{backward-word}). | |
174 @item C-n | |
175 Move down one line, vertically (@code{next-line}). This command | |
176 attempts to keep the horizontal position unchanged, so if you start in | |
177 the middle of one line, you end in the middle of the next. When on | |
178 the last line of text, @kbd{C-n} creates a new line and moves onto it. | |
179 @item C-p | |
180 Move up one line, vertically (@code{previous-line}). | |
181 @item M-r | |
182 Move point to left margin, vertically centered in the window | |
183 (@code{move-to-window-line}). Text does not move on the screen. | |
184 | |
185 A numeric argument says which screen line to place point on. It counts | |
186 screen lines down from the top of the window (zero for the top line). A | |
187 negative argument counts lines from the bottom (@minus{}1 for the bottom | |
188 line). | |
189 @item M-< | |
190 Move to the top of the buffer (@code{beginning-of-buffer}). With | |
191 numeric argument @var{n}, move to @var{n}/10 of the way from the top. | |
192 @xref{Arguments}, for more information on numeric arguments.@refill | |
193 @item M-> | |
194 Move to the end of the buffer (@code{end-of-buffer}). | |
195 @item M-x goto-char | |
196 Read a number @var{n} and move point to buffer position @var{n}. | |
197 Position 1 is the beginning of the buffer. | |
198 @item M-x goto-line | |
199 Read a number @var{n} and move point to line number @var{n}. Line 1 | |
200 is the beginning of the buffer. | |
201 @item C-x C-n | |
202 @findex set-goal-column | |
203 @kindex C-x C-n | |
204 Use the current column of point as the @dfn{semipermanent goal column} for | |
205 @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} (@code{set-goal-column}). Henceforth, those | |
206 commands always move to this column in each line moved into, or as | |
207 close as possible given the contents of the line. This goal column remains | |
208 in effect until canceled. | |
209 @item C-u C-x C-n | |
210 Cancel the goal column. Henceforth, @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} once | |
211 again try to stick to a fixed horizontal position, as usual. | |
212 @end table | |
213 | |
214 @vindex track-eol | |
215 If you set the variable @code{track-eol} to a non-@code{nil} value, | |
216 then @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} when at the end of the starting line move | |
217 to the end of another line. Normally, @code{track-eol} is @code{nil}. | |
218 @xref{Variables}, for how to set variables such as @code{track-eol}. | |
219 | |
220 @vindex next-line-add-newlines | |
221 Normally, @kbd{C-n} on the last line of a buffer appends a newline to | |
222 it. If the variable @code{next-line-add-newlines} is @code{nil}, then | |
223 @kbd{C-n} gets an error instead (like @kbd{C-p} on the first line). | |
224 | |
225 @node Erasing | |
226 @section Erasing Text | |
227 | |
228 @table @kbd | |
229 @item @key{DEL} | |
230 Delete the character before point (@code{delete-backward-char}). | |
231 @item C-d | |
232 Delete the character after point (@code{delete-char}). | |
233 @item C-k | |
234 Kill to the end of the line (@code{kill-line}). | |
235 @item M-d | |
236 Kill forward to the end of the next word (@code{kill-word}). | |
237 @item M-@key{DEL} | |
238 Kill back to the beginning of the previous word | |
239 (@code{backward-kill-word}). | |
240 @end table | |
241 | |
242 @cindex killing characters and lines | |
243 @cindex deleting characters and lines | |
244 @cindex erasing characters and lines | |
245 You already know about the @key{DEL} key which deletes the character | |
246 before point (that is, before the cursor). Another key, @kbd{Control-d} | |
247 (@kbd{C-d} for short), deletes the character after point (that is, the | |
248 character that the cursor is on). This shifts the rest of the text on | |
249 the line to the left. If you type @kbd{C-d} at the end of a line, it | |
250 joins together that line and the next line. | |
251 | |
252 To erase a larger amount of text, use the @kbd{C-k} key, which kills a | |
253 line at a time. If you type @kbd{C-k} at the beginning or middle of a | |
254 line, it kills all the text up to the end of the line. If you type | |
255 @kbd{C-k} at the end of a line, it joins that line and the next line. | |
256 | |
257 @xref{Killing}, for more flexible ways of killing text. | |
258 | |
259 @node Undo | |
260 @section Undoing Changes | |
261 @cindex undo | |
262 @cindex changes, undoing | |
263 | |
264 You can undo all the recent changes in the buffer text, up to a | |
265 certain point. Each buffer records changes individually, and the undo | |
266 command always applies to the current buffer. Usually each editing | |
267 command makes a separate entry in the undo records, but some commands | |
268 such as @code{query-replace} make many entries, and very simple commands | |
269 such as self-inserting characters are often grouped to make undoing less | |
270 tedious. | |
271 | |
272 @table @kbd | |
273 @item C-x u | |
274 Undo one batch of changes---usually, one command worth (@code{undo}). | |
275 @item C-_ | |
276 The same. | |
277 @item C-u C-x u | |
278 Undo one batch of changes in the region. | |
279 @end table | |
280 | |
281 @kindex C-x u | |
282 @kindex C-_ | |
283 @findex undo | |
284 The command @kbd{C-x u} or @kbd{C-_} is how you undo. The first time | |
285 you give this command, it undoes the last change. Point moves back to | |
286 where it was before the command that made the change. | |
287 | |
288 Consecutive repetitions of @kbd{C-_} or @kbd{C-x u} undo earlier and | |
289 earlier changes, back to the limit of the undo information available. | |
290 If all recorded changes have already been undone, the undo command | |
291 prints an error message and does nothing. | |
292 | |
293 Any command other than an undo command breaks the sequence of undo | |
294 commands. Starting from that moment, the previous undo commands become | |
295 ordinary changes that you can undo. Thus, to redo changes you have | |
296 undone, type @kbd{C-f} or any other command that will harmlessly break | |
297 the sequence of undoing, then type more undo commands. | |
298 | |
299 @cindex selective undo | |
300 @kindex C-u C-x u | |
301 Ordinary undo applies to all changes made in the current buffer. You | |
302 can also perform @dfn{selective undo}, limited to the current region. | |
303 To do this, specify the region you want, then run the @code{undo} | |
304 command with a prefix argument (the value does not matter): @kbd{C-u C-x | |
305 u} or @kbd{C-u C-_}. This undoes the most recent change in the region. | |
306 To undo further changes in the same region, repeat the @code{undo} | |
307 command (no prefix argument is needed). In Transient Mark mode, any use | |
308 of @code{undo} when there is an active region performs selective undo; | |
309 you do not need a prefix argument. | |
310 | |
311 If you notice that a buffer has been modified accidentally, the | |
312 easiest way to recover is to type @kbd{C-_} repeatedly until the stars | |
313 disappear from the front of the mode line. At this time, all the | |
314 modifications you made have been canceled. Whenever an undo command | |
315 makes the stars disappear from the mode line, it means that the buffer | |
316 contents are the same as they were when the file was last read in or | |
317 saved. | |
318 | |
319 If you do not remember whether you changed the buffer deliberately, | |
320 type @kbd{C-_} once. When you see the last change you made undone, you | |
321 will see whether it was an intentional change. If it was an accident, | |
322 leave it undone. If it was deliberate, redo the change as described | |
323 above. | |
324 | |
325 Not all buffers record undo information. Buffers whose names start with | |
326 spaces don't; these buffers are used internally by Emacs and its extensions | |
327 to hold text that users don't normally look at or edit. | |
328 | |
329 You cannot undo mere cursor motion; only changes in the buffer | |
330 contents save undo information. However, some cursor motion commands | |
331 set the mark, so if you use these commands from time to time, you can | |
332 move back to the neighborhoods you have moved through by popping the | |
333 mark ring (@pxref{Mark Ring}). | |
334 | |
335 @vindex undo-limit | |
336 @vindex undo-strong-limit | |
337 @cindex undo limit | |
338 When the undo information for a buffer becomes too large, Emacs | |
339 discards the oldest undo information from time to time (during garbage | |
340 collection). You can specify how much undo information to keep by | |
341 setting two variables: @code{undo-limit} and @code{undo-strong-limit}. | |
342 Their values are expressed in units of bytes of space. | |
343 | |
344 The variable @code{undo-limit} sets a soft limit: Emacs keeps undo | |
345 data for enough commands to reach this size, and perhaps exceed it, but | |
346 does not keep data for any earlier commands beyond that. Its default | |
347 value is 20000. The variable @code{undo-strong-limit} sets a stricter | |
348 limit: the command which pushes the size past this amount is itself | |
349 forgotten. Its default value is 30000. | |
350 | |
351 Regardless of the values of those variables, the most recent change is | |
352 never discarded, so there is no danger that garbage collection occurring | |
353 right after an unintentional large change might prevent you from undoing | |
354 it. | |
355 | |
356 The reason the @code{undo} command has two keys, @kbd{C-x u} and | |
357 @kbd{C-_}, set up to run it is that it is worthy of a single-character | |
358 key, but on some keyboards it is not obvious how to type @kbd{C-_}. | |
359 @kbd{C-x u} is an alternative you can type straightforwardly on any | |
360 terminal. | |
361 | |
362 @node Basic Files | |
363 @section Files | |
364 | |
365 The commands described above are sufficient for creating and altering | |
366 text in an Emacs buffer; the more advanced Emacs commands just make | |
367 things easier. But to keep any text permanently you must put it in a | |
368 @dfn{file}. Files are named units of text which are stored by the | |
369 operating system for you to retrieve later by name. To look at or use | |
370 the contents of a file in any way, including editing the file with | |
371 Emacs, you must specify the file name. | |
372 | |
373 Consider a file named @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. In Emacs, to begin editing | |
374 this file, type | |
375 | |
376 @example | |
377 C-x C-f /usr/rms/foo.c @key{RET} | |
378 @end example | |
379 | |
380 @noindent | |
381 Here the file name is given as an @dfn{argument} to the command @kbd{C-x | |
382 C-f} (@code{find-file}). That command uses the @dfn{minibuffer} to | |
383 read the argument, and you type @key{RET} to terminate the argument | |
384 (@pxref{Minibuffer}).@refill | |
385 | |
386 Emacs obeys the command by @dfn{visiting} the file: creating a buffer, | |
387 copying the contents of the file into the buffer, and then displaying | |
388 the buffer for you to edit. If you alter the text, you can @dfn{save} | |
389 the new text in the file by typing @kbd{C-x C-s} (@code{save-buffer}). | |
390 This makes the changes permanent by copying the altered buffer contents | |
391 back into the file @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. Until you save, the changes | |
392 exist only inside Emacs, and the file @file{foo.c} is unaltered. | |
393 | |
394 To create a file, just visit the file with @kbd{C-x C-f} as if it | |
395 already existed. This creates an empty buffer in which you can insert | |
396 the text you want to put in the file. The file is actually created when | |
397 you save this buffer with @kbd{C-x C-s}. | |
398 | |
399 Of course, there is a lot more to learn about using files. @xref{Files}. | |
400 | |
401 @node Basic Help | |
402 @section Help | |
403 | |
404 @cindex getting help with keys | |
405 If you forget what a key does, you can find out with the Help | |
406 character, which is @kbd{C-h} (or @key{F1}, which is an alias for | |
407 @kbd{C-h}). Type @kbd{C-h k} followed by the key you want to know | |
408 about; for example, @kbd{C-h k C-n} tells you all about what @kbd{C-n} | |
409 does. @kbd{C-h} is a prefix key; @kbd{C-h k} is just one of its | |
410 subcommands (the command @code{describe-key}). The other subcommands of | |
411 @kbd{C-h} provide different kinds of help. Type @kbd{C-h} twice to get | |
412 a description of all the help facilities. @xref{Help}.@refill | |
413 | |
414 @node Blank Lines | |
415 @section Blank Lines | |
416 | |
417 @cindex inserting blank lines | |
418 @cindex deleting blank lines | |
419 Here are special commands and techniques for putting in and taking out | |
420 blank lines. | |
421 | |
422 @c widecommands | |
423 @table @kbd | |
424 @item C-o | |
425 Insert one or more blank lines after the cursor (@code{open-line}). | |
426 @item C-x C-o | |
427 Delete all but one of many consecutive blank lines | |
428 (@code{delete-blank-lines}). | |
429 @end table | |
430 | |
431 @kindex C-o | |
432 @kindex C-x C-o | |
433 @cindex blank lines | |
434 @findex open-line | |
435 @findex delete-blank-lines | |
436 When you want to insert a new line of text before an existing line, you | |
437 can do it by typing the new line of text, followed by @key{RET}. | |
438 However, it may be easier to see what you are doing if you first make a | |
439 blank line and then insert the desired text into it. This is easy to do | |
440 using the key @kbd{C-o} (@code{open-line}), which inserts a newline | |
441 after point but leaves point in front of the newline. After @kbd{C-o}, | |
442 type the text for the new line. @kbd{C-o F O O} has the same effect as | |
443 @w{@kbd{F O O @key{RET}}}, except for the final location of point. | |
444 | |
445 You can make several blank lines by typing @kbd{C-o} several times, or | |
446 by giving it a numeric argument to tell it how many blank lines to make. | |
447 @xref{Arguments}, for how. If you have a fill prefix, then @kbd{C-o} | |
448 command inserts the fill prefix on the new line, when you use it at the | |
449 beginning of a line. @xref{Fill Prefix}. | |
450 | |
451 The easy way to get rid of extra blank lines is with the command | |
452 @kbd{C-x C-o} (@code{delete-blank-lines}). @kbd{C-x C-o} in a run of | |
453 several blank lines deletes all but one of them. @kbd{C-x C-o} on a | |
454 solitary blank line deletes that blank line. When point is on a | |
455 nonblank line, @kbd{C-x C-o} deletes any blank lines following that | |
456 nonblank line. | |
457 | |
458 @node Continuation Lines | |
459 @section Continuation Lines | |
460 | |
461 @cindex continuation line | |
462 @cindex wrapping | |
463 @cindex line wrapping | |
464 If you add too many characters to one line without breaking it with | |
465 @key{RET}, the line will grow to occupy two (or more) lines on the screen, | |
466 with a @samp{\} at the extreme right margin of all but the last of them. | |
467 The @samp{\} says that the following screen line is not really a distinct | |
468 line in the text, but just the @dfn{continuation} of a line too long to fit | |
469 the screen. Continuation is also called @dfn{line wrapping}. | |
470 | |
471 Sometimes it is nice to have Emacs insert newlines automatically when | |
472 a line gets too long. Continuation on the screen does not do that. Use | |
473 Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling}) if that's what you want. | |
474 | |
475 @vindex truncate-lines | |
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476 @findex toggle-truncate-lines |
25829 | 477 @cindex truncation |
478 As an alternative to continuation, Emacs can display long lines by | |
479 @dfn{truncation}. This means that all the characters that do not fit in | |
480 the width of the screen or window do not appear at all. They remain in | |
481 the buffer, temporarily invisible. @samp{$} is used in the last column | |
482 instead of @samp{\} to inform you that truncation is in effect. | |
483 | |
484 Truncation instead of continuation happens whenever horizontal | |
485 scrolling is in use, and optionally in all side-by-side windows | |
486 (@pxref{Windows}). You can enable truncation for a particular buffer by | |
487 setting the variable @code{truncate-lines} to non-@code{nil} in that | |
488 buffer. (@xref{Variables}.) Altering the value of | |
489 @code{truncate-lines} makes it local to the current buffer; until that | |
490 time, the default value is in effect. The default is initially | |
491 @code{nil}. @xref{Locals}. | |
492 | |
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493 The command @kbd{M-x toggle-truncate-lines} toggles the display |
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494 between continuation and truncation. |
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495 |
25829 | 496 @xref{Display Vars}, for additional variables that affect how text is |
497 displayed. | |
498 | |
499 @node Position Info | |
500 @section Cursor Position Information | |
501 | |
502 Here are commands to get information about the size and position of | |
503 parts of the buffer, and to count lines. | |
504 | |
505 @table @kbd | |
506 @item M-x what-page | |
507 Print page number of point, and line number within page. | |
508 @item M-x what-line | |
509 Print line number of point in the buffer. | |
510 @item M-x line-number-mode | |
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511 @itemx M-x column-number-mode |
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512 Toggle automatic display of current line number or column number. |
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513 @xref{Optional Mode Line}. |
25829 | 514 @item M-= |
515 Print number of lines in the current region (@code{count-lines-region}). | |
516 @xref{Mark}, for information about the region. | |
517 @item C-x = | |
518 Print character code of character after point, character position of | |
519 point, and column of point (@code{what-cursor-position}). | |
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520 @item M-x hl-line-mode |
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521 Highlighting the current line. |
25829 | 522 @end table |
523 | |
524 @findex what-page | |
525 @findex what-line | |
526 @cindex line number commands | |
527 @cindex location of point | |
528 @cindex cursor location | |
529 @cindex point location | |
530 There are two commands for working with line numbers. @kbd{M-x | |
531 what-line} computes the current line number and displays it in the echo | |
532 area. To go to a given line by number, use @kbd{M-x goto-line}; it | |
533 prompts you for the number. These line numbers count from one at the | |
534 beginning of the buffer. | |
535 | |
536 You can also see the current line number in the mode line; @xref{Mode | |
537 Line}. If you narrow the buffer, then the line number in the mode line | |
538 is relative to the accessible portion (@pxref{Narrowing}). By contrast, | |
539 @code{what-line} shows both the line number relative to the narrowed | |
540 region and the line number relative to the whole buffer. | |
541 | |
542 By contrast, @kbd{M-x what-page} counts pages from the beginning of | |
543 the file, and counts lines within the page, printing both numbers. | |
544 @xref{Pages}. | |
545 | |
546 @kindex M-= | |
547 @findex count-lines-region | |
548 While on this subject, we might as well mention @kbd{M-=} (@code{count-lines-region}), | |
549 which prints the number of lines in the region (@pxref{Mark}). | |
550 @xref{Pages}, for the command @kbd{C-x l} which counts the lines in the | |
551 current page. | |
552 | |
553 @kindex C-x = | |
554 @findex what-cursor-position | |
555 The command @kbd{C-x =} (@code{what-cursor-position}) can be used to find out | |
556 the column that the cursor is in, and other miscellaneous information about | |
557 point. It prints a line in the echo area that looks like this: | |
558 | |
559 @smallexample | |
560 Char: c (0143, 99, 0x63) point=21044 of 26883(78%) column 53 | |
561 @end smallexample | |
562 | |
563 @noindent | |
564 (In fact, this is the output produced when point is before the | |
565 @samp{column} in the example.) | |
566 | |
567 The four values after @samp{Char:} describe the character that follows | |
568 point, first by showing it and then by giving its character code in | |
569 octal, decimal and hex. For a non-ASCII multibyte character, these are | |
570 followed by @samp{ext} and the character's representation, in hex, in | |
571 the buffer's coding system, if that coding system encodes the character | |
572 safely and with a single byte (@pxref{Coding Systems}). If the | |
573 character's encoding is longer than one byte, Emacs shows @samp{ext ...}. | |
574 | |
575 @samp{point=} is followed by the position of point expressed as a character | |
576 count. The front of the buffer counts as position 1, one character later | |
577 as 2, and so on. The next, larger, number is the total number of characters | |
578 in the buffer. Afterward in parentheses comes the position expressed as a | |
579 percentage of the total size. | |
580 | |
581 @samp{column} is followed by the horizontal position of point, in | |
582 columns from the left edge of the window. | |
583 | |
584 If the buffer has been narrowed, making some of the text at the | |
585 beginning and the end temporarily inaccessible, @kbd{C-x =} prints | |
586 additional text describing the currently accessible range. For example, it | |
587 might display this: | |
588 | |
589 @smallexample | |
590 Char: C (0103, 67, 0x43) point=252 of 889(28%) <231 - 599> column 0 | |
591 @end smallexample | |
592 | |
593 @noindent | |
594 where the two extra numbers give the smallest and largest character | |
595 position that point is allowed to assume. The characters between those | |
596 two positions are the accessible ones. @xref{Narrowing}. | |
597 | |
598 If point is at the end of the buffer (or the end of the accessible | |
599 part), the @w{@kbd{C-x =}} output does not describe a character after | |
600 point. The output might look like this: | |
601 | |
602 @smallexample | |
603 point=26957 of 26956(100%) column 0 | |
604 @end smallexample | |
605 | |
606 @w{@kbd{C-u C-x =}} displays additional information about a character, | |
607 in place of the buffer coordinates and column: the character set name | |
608 and the codes that identify the character within that character set; | |
609 ASCII characters are identified as belonging to the @code{ASCII} | |
610 character set. In addition, the full character encoding, even if it | |
611 takes more than a single byte, is shown after @samp{ext}. Here's an | |
612 example for a Latin-1 character A with a grave accent in a buffer whose | |
613 coding system is iso-2022-7bit@footnote{On terminals that support | |
614 Latin-1 characters, the character shown after @samp{Char:} is displayed | |
615 as the actual glyph of A with grave accent.}: | |
616 | |
617 @example | |
618 Char: @`A (04300, 2240, 0x8c0, ext ESC , A @@) (latin-iso8859-1 64) | |
619 @end example | |
620 | |
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621 @findex hl-line-mode |
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622 @findex blink-cursor-mode |
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623 @cindex cursor, locating visually |
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624 @cindex cursor, blinking |
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625 @kbd{M-x hl-line-mode} turns on a global minor mode which highlights the |
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626 line about point in the selected window (on terminals which support |
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627 highlighting). Some people find this convenient. If you find the |
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628 cursor difficult to spot, you might try changing its color by |
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629 customizing the @code{cursor} face or rely on (the default) |
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630 @code{blink-cursor-mode}. Cursor color and blinking can be conrolled |
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631 via the @code{cursor} Custom group. |
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632 |
25829 | 633 @node Arguments |
634 @section Numeric Arguments | |
635 @cindex numeric arguments | |
636 @cindex prefix arguments | |
637 @cindex arguments, numeric | |
638 @cindex arguments, prefix | |
639 | |
640 In mathematics and computer usage, the word @dfn{argument} means | |
641 ``data provided to a function or operation.'' You can give any Emacs | |
642 command a @dfn{numeric argument} (also called a @dfn{prefix argument}). | |
643 Some commands interpret the argument as a repetition count. For | |
644 example, @kbd{C-f} with an argument of ten moves forward ten characters | |
645 instead of one. With these commands, no argument is equivalent to an | |
646 argument of one. Negative arguments tell most such commands to move or | |
647 act in the opposite direction. | |
648 | |
649 @kindex M-1 | |
650 @kindex M-@t{-} | |
651 @findex digit-argument | |
652 @findex negative-argument | |
653 If your terminal keyboard has a @key{META} key, the easiest way to | |
654 specify a numeric argument is to type digits and/or a minus sign while | |
655 holding down the @key{META} key. For example, | |
656 @example | |
657 M-5 C-n | |
658 @end example | |
659 @noindent | |
660 would move down five lines. The characters @kbd{Meta-1}, @kbd{Meta-2}, | |
661 and so on, as well as @kbd{Meta--}, do this because they are keys bound | |
662 to commands (@code{digit-argument} and @code{negative-argument}) that | |
663 are defined to contribute to an argument for the next command. Digits | |
664 and @kbd{-} modified with Control, or Control and Meta, also specify | |
665 numeric arguments. | |
666 | |
667 @kindex C-u | |
668 @findex universal-argument | |
669 Another way of specifying an argument is to use the @kbd{C-u} | |
670 (@code{universal-argument}) command followed by the digits of the | |
671 argument. With @kbd{C-u}, you can type the argument digits without | |
672 holding down modifier keys; @kbd{C-u} works on all terminals. To type a | |
673 negative argument, type a minus sign after @kbd{C-u}. Just a minus sign | |
674 without digits normally means @minus{}1. | |
675 | |
676 @kbd{C-u} followed by a character which is neither a digit nor a minus | |
677 sign has the special meaning of ``multiply by four.'' It multiplies the | |
678 argument for the next command by four. @kbd{C-u} twice multiplies it by | |
679 sixteen. Thus, @kbd{C-u C-u C-f} moves forward sixteen characters. This | |
680 is a good way to move forward ``fast,'' since it moves about 1/5 of a line | |
681 in the usual size screen. Other useful combinations are @kbd{C-u C-n}, | |
682 @kbd{C-u C-u C-n} (move down a good fraction of a screen), @kbd{C-u C-u | |
683 C-o} (make ``a lot'' of blank lines), and @kbd{C-u C-k} (kill four | |
684 lines).@refill | |
685 | |
686 Some commands care only about whether there is an argument, and not about | |
687 its value. For example, the command @kbd{M-q} (@code{fill-paragraph}) with | |
688 no argument fills text; with an argument, it justifies the text as well. | |
689 (@xref{Filling}, for more information on @kbd{M-q}.) Plain @kbd{C-u} is a | |
690 handy way of providing an argument for such commands. | |
691 | |
692 Some commands use the value of the argument as a repeat count, but do | |
693 something peculiar when there is no argument. For example, the command | |
694 @kbd{C-k} (@code{kill-line}) with argument @var{n} kills @var{n} lines, | |
695 including their terminating newlines. But @kbd{C-k} with no argument is | |
696 special: it kills the text up to the next newline, or, if point is right at | |
697 the end of the line, it kills the newline itself. Thus, two @kbd{C-k} | |
698 commands with no arguments can kill a nonblank line, just like @kbd{C-k} | |
699 with an argument of one. (@xref{Killing}, for more information on | |
700 @kbd{C-k}.)@refill | |
701 | |
702 A few commands treat a plain @kbd{C-u} differently from an ordinary | |
703 argument. A few others may treat an argument of just a minus sign | |
704 differently from an argument of @minus{}1. These unusual cases are | |
705 described when they come up; they are always for reasons of convenience | |
706 of use of the individual command. | |
707 | |
708 You can use a numeric argument to insert multiple copies of a | |
709 character. This is straightforward unless the character is a digit; for | |
710 example, @kbd{C-u 6 4 a} inserts 64 copies of the character @samp{a}. | |
711 But this does not work for inserting digits; @kbd{C-u 6 4 1} specifies | |
712 an argument of 641, rather than inserting anything. To separate the | |
713 digit to insert from the argument, type another @kbd{C-u}; for example, | |
714 @kbd{C-u 6 4 C-u 1} does insert 64 copies of the character @samp{1}. | |
715 | |
716 We use the term ``prefix argument'' as well as ``numeric argument'' to | |
717 emphasize that you type the argument before the command, and to | |
718 distinguish these arguments from minibuffer arguments that come after | |
719 the command. | |
720 | |
721 @node Repeating | |
722 @section Repeating a Command | |
723 @cindex repeating a command | |
724 | |
725 @kindex C-x z | |
726 @findex repeat | |
727 The command @kbd{C-x z} (@code{repeat}) provides another way to repeat | |
728 an Emacs command many times. This command repeats the previous Emacs | |
729 command, whatever that was. Repeating a command uses the same arguments | |
730 that were used before; it does not read new arguments each time. | |
731 | |
732 To repeat the command more than once, type additional @kbd{z}'s: each | |
733 @kbd{z} repeats the command one more time. Repetition ends when you | |
734 type a character other than @kbd{z}, or press a mouse button. | |
735 | |
736 For example, suppose you type @kbd{C-u 2 0 C-d} to delete 20 | |
737 characters. You can repeat that command (including its argument) three | |
738 additional times, to delete a total of 80 characters, by typing @kbd{C-x | |
739 z z z}. The first @kbd{C-x z} repeats the command once, and each | |
740 subsequent @kbd{z} repeats it once again. | |
741 |