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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 Mark, Killing, Help, Top
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5 @chapter The Mark and the Region
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6 @cindex mark
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7 @cindex setting a mark
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8 @cindex region
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9
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10 Many Emacs commands operate on an arbitrary contiguous part of the
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11 current buffer. To specify the text for such a command to operate on,
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12 you set @dfn{the mark} at one end of it, and move point to the other
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13 end. The text between point and the mark is called @dfn{the region}.
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14 Emacs highlights the region whenever there is one, if you enable
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15 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}).
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16
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17 Certain Emacs commands set the mark; other editing commands do not
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18 affect it, so the mark remains where you set it last. Each Emacs
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19 buffer has its own mark, and setting the mark in one buffer has no
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20 effect on other buffers' marks. When you return to a buffer that was
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21 current earlier, its mark is at the same place as before.
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22
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23 The ends of the region are always point and the mark. It doesn't
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24 matter which of them was put in its current place first, or which one
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25 comes earlier in the text---the region starts from point or the mark
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26 (whichever comes first), and ends at point or the mark (whichever
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27 comes last). Every time you move point, or set the mark in a new
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28 place, the region changes.
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29
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30 Many commands that insert text, such as @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) and
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31 @kbd{M-x insert-buffer}, position point and the mark at opposite ends
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32 of the inserted text, so that the region consists of the text just
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33 inserted.
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34
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35 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for
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36 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this
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37 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the
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38 mark in the @dfn{mark ring}.
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39
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40 @menu
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41 * Setting Mark:: Commands to set the mark.
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42 * Transient Mark:: How to make Emacs highlight the region--
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43 when there is one.
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44 * Using Region:: Summary of ways to operate on contents of the region.
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45 * Marking Objects:: Commands to put region around textual units.
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46 * Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions saved so you can go back there.
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47 * Global Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions in various buffers.
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48 @end menu
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49
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50 @node Setting Mark
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51 @section Setting the Mark
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52
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53 Here are some commands for setting the mark:
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54
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55 @table @kbd
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56 @item C-@key{SPC}
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57 Set the mark where point is (@code{set-mark-command}).
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58 @item C-@@
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59 The same.
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60 @item C-x C-x
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61 Interchange mark and point (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}).
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62 @item Drag-Mouse-1
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63 Set point and the mark around the text you drag across.
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64 @item Mouse-3
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65 Set the mark where point is, then move point to where you click
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66 (@code{mouse-save-then-kill}).
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67 @end table
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68
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69 For example, suppose you wish to convert part of the buffer to
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70 upper case, using the @kbd{C-x C-u} (@code{upcase-region}) command,
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71 which operates on the text in the region. You can first go to the
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72 beginning of the text to be capitalized, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} to put
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73 the mark there, move to the end, and then type @kbd{C-x C-u}. Or, you
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74 can set the mark at the end of the text, move to the beginning, and then
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75 type @kbd{C-x C-u}.
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76
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77 @kindex C-SPC
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78 @findex set-mark-command
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79 The most common way to set the mark is with the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} command
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80 (@code{set-mark-command}). This sets the mark where point is. Then you
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81 can move point away, leaving the mark behind.
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82
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83 There are two ways to set the mark with the mouse. You can drag mouse
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84 button one across a range of text; that puts point where you release the
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85 mouse button, and sets the mark at the other end of that range. Or you
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86 can click mouse button three, which sets the mark at point (like
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87 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}) and then moves point (like @kbd{Mouse-1}). Both of
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88 these methods copy the region into the kill ring in addition to setting
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89 the mark; that gives behavior consistent with other window-driven
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90 applications, but if you don't want to modify the kill ring, you must
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91 use keyboard commands to set the mark. @xref{Mouse Commands}.
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92
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93 @kindex C-x C-x
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94 @findex exchange-point-and-mark
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95 Ordinary terminals have only one cursor, so there is no way for Emacs
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96 to show you where the mark is located. You have to remember. The usual
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97 solution to this problem is to set the mark and then use it soon, before
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98 you forget where it is. Alternatively, you can see where the mark is
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99 with the command @kbd{C-x C-x} (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}) which
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100 puts the mark where point was and point where the mark was. The extent
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101 of the region is unchanged, but the cursor and point are now at the
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102 previous position of the mark. In Transient Mark mode, this command
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103 reactivates the mark.
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104
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105 @kbd{C-x C-x} is also useful when you are satisfied with the position
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106 of point but want to move the other end of the region (where the mark
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107 is); do @kbd{C-x C-x} to put point at that end of the region, and then
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108 move it. Using @kbd{C-x C-x} a second time, if necessary, puts the mark at
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109 the new position with point back at its original position.
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110
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111 For more facilities that allow you to go to previously set marks, see
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112 @ref{Mark Ring}.
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113
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114 @kindex C-@@
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115 There is no such character as @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} in ASCII; when you
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116 type @key{SPC} while holding down @key{CTRL}, what you get on most
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117 ordinary terminals is the character @kbd{C-@@}. This key is actually
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118 bound to @code{set-mark-command}. But unless you are unlucky enough to
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119 have a terminal where typing @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} does not produce
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120 @kbd{C-@@}, you might as well think of this character as
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121 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}. Under X, @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} is actually a distinct
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122 character, but its binding is still @code{set-mark-command}.
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123
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124 @node Transient Mark
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125 @section Transient Mark Mode
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126 @cindex mode, Transient Mark
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127 @cindex Transient Mark mode
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128 @cindex highlighting region
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129 @cindex region highlighting
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130
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131 On a terminal that supports colors, Emacs can highlight the current
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132 region. But normally it does not. Why not?
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133
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134 Highlighting the region whenever it exists would not be desirable in
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135 Emacs, because once you have set a mark, there is @emph{always} a
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136 region (in that buffer). And highlighting the region all the time
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137 would be a nuisance. So normally Emacs highlights the region only
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138 immediately after you have selected one with the mouse.
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139
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140 You can turn on region highlighting by enabling Transient Mark mode.
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141 This is a more rigid mode of operation in which the region ``lasts''
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142 only temporarily, so you must set up a region for each command that uses
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143 one. In Transient Mark mode, most of the time there is no region;
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144 therefore, highlighting the region when it exists is useful and
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145 not annoying.
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146
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147 @findex transient-mark-mode
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148 To enable Transient Mark mode, type @kbd{M-x transient-mark-mode}.
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149 This command toggles the mode, so you can repeat the command to turn off
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150 the mode.
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151
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152 Here are the details of Transient Mark mode:
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153
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154 @itemize @bullet
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155 @item
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156 To set the mark, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} (@code{set-mark-command}).
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157 This makes the mark active and thus begins highlighting of the region.
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158 As you move point, you will see the highlighted region grow and
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159 shrink.
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160
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161 @item
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162 The mouse commands for specifying the mark also make it active. So do
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163 keyboard commands whose purpose is to specify a region, including
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164 @kbd{M-@@}, @kbd{C-M-@@}, @kbd{M-h}, @kbd{C-M-h}, @kbd{C-x C-p}, and
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165 @kbd{C-x h}.
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166
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167 @item
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168 When the mark is active, you can execute commands that operate on the
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169 region, such as killing, indenting, or writing to a file.
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170
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171 @item
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172 Any change to the buffer, such as inserting or deleting a character,
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173 deactivates the mark. This means any subsequent command that operates
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174 on a region will get an error and refuse to operate. You can make the
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175 region active again by typing @kbd{C-x C-x}.
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176
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177 @item
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178 Commands like @kbd{M->} and @kbd{C-s}, that ``leave the mark behind'' in
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179 addition to some other primary purpose, do not activate the new mark.
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180 You can activate the new region by executing @kbd{C-x C-x}
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181 (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}).
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182
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183 @item
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184 @kbd{C-s} when the mark is active does not alter the mark.
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185
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186 @item
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187 Quitting with @kbd{C-g} deactivates the mark.
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188
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189 @item
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190 Some commands operate on the region whenever it is active. For
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191 instance, @kbd{C-x u} in Transient Mark mode operates on the region
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192 when there is a region. Outside Transient Mark mode, you must type
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193 @kbd{C-u C-x u} if you want it to operate on the region.
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194 @xref{Undo}. Other commands that act this way are identified
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195 in their own documentation.
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196 @end itemize
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197
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198 The highlighting of the region uses the @code{region} face; you can
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199 customize the appearance of the highlighted region by changing this
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200 face. @xref{Face Customization}.
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201
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202 @vindex highlight-nonselected-windows
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203 When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different
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204 regions, because they can have different values of point (though they
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205 all share one common mark position). Ordinarily, only the selected
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206 window highlights its region (@pxref{Windows}). However, if the
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207 variable @code{highlight-nonselected-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then
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208 each window highlights its own region (provided that Transient Mark mode
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209 is enabled and the mark in the window's buffer is active).
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210
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211 When Transient Mark mode is not enabled, every command that sets the
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212 mark also activates it, and nothing ever deactivates it.
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213
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214 @vindex mark-even-if-inactive
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215 If the variable @code{mark-even-if-inactive} is non-@code{nil} in
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216 Transient Mark mode, then commands can use the mark and the region
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217 even when it is inactive. Region highlighting appears and disappears
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218 just as it normally does in Transient Mark mode, but the mark doesn't
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219 really go away when the highlighting disappears.
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220
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221 @cindex Zmacs mode
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222 Transient Mark mode is also sometimes known as ``Zmacs mode''
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223 because the Zmacs editor on the MIT Lisp Machine handled the mark in a
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224 similar way.
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225
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226 @node Using Region
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227 @section Operating on the Region
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228
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229 @cindex operations on a marked region
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230 Once you have a region and the mark is active, here are some of the
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231 ways you can operate on the region:
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232
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233 @itemize @bullet
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234 @item
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235 Kill it with @kbd{C-w} (@pxref{Killing}).
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236 @item
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237 Save it in a register with @kbd{C-x r s} (@pxref{Registers}).
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238 @item
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239 Save it in a buffer or a file (@pxref{Accumulating Text}).
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240 @item
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241 Convert case with @kbd{C-x C-l} or @kbd{C-x C-u} (@pxref{Case}).
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242 @item
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243 Indent it with @kbd{C-x @key{TAB}} or @kbd{C-M-\} (@pxref{Indentation}).
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244 @item
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245 Fill it as text with @kbd{M-x fill-region} (@pxref{Filling}).
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246 @item
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247 Print hardcopy with @kbd{M-x print-region} (@pxref{Hardcopy}).
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248 @item
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249 Evaluate it as Lisp code with @kbd{M-x eval-region} (@pxref{Lisp Eval}).
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250 @end itemize
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251
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252 Most commands that operate on the text in the region have the word
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253 @code{region} in their names.
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254
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255 @node Marking Objects
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256 @section Commands to Mark Textual Objects
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257
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258 @cindex marking sections of text
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259 Here are the commands for placing point and the mark around a textual
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260 object such as a word, list, paragraph or page.
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261
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262 @table @kbd
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263 @item M-@@
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264 Set mark after end of next word (@code{mark-word}). This command and
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265 the following one do not move point.
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266 @item C-M-@@
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267 Set mark after end of following balanced expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
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268 @item M-h
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269 Put region around current paragraph (@code{mark-paragraph}).
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270 @item C-M-h
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271 Put region around current defun (@code{mark-defun}).
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272 @item C-x h
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273 Put region around the entire buffer (@code{mark-whole-buffer}).
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274 @item C-x C-p
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275 Put region around current page (@code{mark-page}).
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276 @end table
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277
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278 @kbd{M-@@} (@code{mark-word}) puts the mark at the end of the next
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279 word, while @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}) puts it at the end of the
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280 next balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}). These commands handle
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281 arguments just like @kbd{M-f} and @kbd{C-M-f}.
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282
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283 @kindex C-x h
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284 @findex mark-whole-buffer
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285 Other commands set both point and mark, to delimit an object in the
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286 buffer. For example, @kbd{M-h} (@code{mark-paragraph}) moves point to
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287 the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and puts
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288 the mark at the end of that paragraph (@pxref{Paragraphs}). It prepares
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289 the region so you can indent, case-convert, or kill a whole paragraph.
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290
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291 @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun}) similarly puts point before, and the
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292 mark after, the current (or following) major top-level definition, or
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293 defun (@pxref{Moving by Defuns}). @kbd{C-x C-p} (@code{mark-page})
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294 puts point before the current page, and mark at the end
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295 (@pxref{Pages}). The mark goes after the terminating page delimiter
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296 (to include it in the region), while point goes after the preceding
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297 page delimiter (to exclude it). A numeric argument specifies a later
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298 page (if positive) or an earlier page (if negative) instead of the
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299 current page.
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300
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301 Finally, @kbd{C-x h} (@code{mark-whole-buffer}) sets up the entire
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302 buffer as the region, by putting point at the beginning and the mark at
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303 the end.
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304
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305 In Transient Mark mode, all of these commands activate the mark.
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306
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307 @node Mark Ring
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308 @section The Mark Ring
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309
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310 @kindex C-u C-SPC
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311 @cindex mark ring
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312 @kindex C-u C-@@
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313 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for
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314 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this
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315 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the
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316 mark, in the @dfn{mark ring}. Commands that set the mark also push the
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317 old mark onto this ring. To return to a marked location, use @kbd{C-u
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318 C-@key{SPC}} (or @kbd{C-u C-@@}); this is the command
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319 @code{set-mark-command} given a numeric argument. It moves point to
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320 where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former
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321 marks. Thus, repeated use of this command moves point to all of the old
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322 marks on the ring, one by one. The mark positions you move through in
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323 this way are not lost; they go to the end of the ring.
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324
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325 Each buffer has its own mark ring. All editing commands use the current
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326 buffer's mark ring. In particular, @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} always stays in
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327 the same buffer.
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328
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329 Many commands that can move long distances, such as @kbd{M-<}
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330 (@code{beginning-of-buffer}), start by setting the mark and saving the
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331 old mark on the mark ring. This is to make it easier for you to move
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332 back later. Searches set the mark if they move point. You can tell
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333 when a command sets the mark because it displays @samp{Mark set} in the
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334 echo area.
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335
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336 If you want to move back to the same place over and over, the mark
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337 ring may not be convenient enough. If so, you can record the position
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338 in a register for later retrieval (@pxref{RegPos,, Saving Positions in
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339 Registers}).
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340
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341 @vindex mark-ring-max
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342 The variable @code{mark-ring-max} specifies the maximum number of
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343 entries to keep in the mark ring. If that many entries exist and
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344 another one is pushed, the earliest one in the list is discarded. Repeating
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345 @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} cycles through the positions currently in the
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346 ring.
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347
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348 @vindex mark-ring
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349 The variable @code{mark-ring} holds the mark ring itself, as a list of
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350 marker objects, with the most recent first. This variable is local in
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351 every buffer.
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352
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353 @node Global Mark Ring
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354 @section The Global Mark Ring
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355 @cindex global mark ring
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356
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357 In addition to the ordinary mark ring that belongs to each buffer,
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358 Emacs has a single @dfn{global mark ring}. It records a sequence of
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359 buffers in which you have recently set the mark, so you can go back
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360 to those buffers.
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361
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362 Setting the mark always makes an entry on the current buffer's mark
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363 ring. If you have switched buffers since the previous mark setting, the
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364 new mark position makes an entry on the global mark ring also. The
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365 result is that the global mark ring records a sequence of buffers that
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366 you have been in, and, for each buffer, a place where you set the mark.
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367
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368 @kindex C-x C-@key{SPC}
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369 @findex pop-global-mark
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370 The command @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} (@code{pop-global-mark}) jumps to
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371 the buffer and position of the latest entry in the global ring. It also
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372 rotates the ring, so that successive uses of @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} take
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373 you to earlier and earlier buffers.
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374
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