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annotate man/mark.texi @ 78211:ce0473a5b031
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author | Dan Nicolaescu <dann@ics.uci.edu> |
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date | Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:02:02 +0000 |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
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Update years in copyright notice; nfc.
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, |
75348 | 3 @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
25829 | 4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 @node Mark, Killing, Help, Top | |
6 @chapter The Mark and the Region | |
7 @cindex mark | |
8 @cindex setting a mark | |
9 @cindex region | |
10 | |
11 Many Emacs commands operate on an arbitrary contiguous part of the | |
12 current buffer. To specify the text for such a command to operate on, | |
13 you set @dfn{the mark} at one end of it, and move point to the other | |
14 end. The text between point and the mark is called @dfn{the region}. | |
15 Emacs highlights the region whenever there is one, if you enable | |
16 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). | |
17 | |
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18 Certain Emacs commands set the mark; other editing commands do not |
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19 affect it, so the mark remains where you set it last. Each Emacs |
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20 buffer has its own mark, and setting the mark in one buffer has no |
38786 | 21 effect on other buffers' marks. When you return to a buffer that was |
22 current earlier, its mark is at the same place as before. | |
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23 |
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24 The ends of the region are always point and the mark. It doesn't |
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25 matter which of them was put in its current place first, or which one |
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26 comes earlier in the text---the region starts from point or the mark |
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27 (whichever comes first), and ends at point or the mark (whichever |
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28 comes last). Every time you move point, or set the mark in a new |
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29 place, the region changes. |
25829 | 30 |
31 Many commands that insert text, such as @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) and | |
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32 @kbd{M-x insert-buffer}, position point and the mark at opposite ends |
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33 of the inserted text, so that the region consists of the text just |
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34 inserted. |
25829 | 35 |
36 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for | |
37 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this | |
38 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the | |
39 mark in the @dfn{mark ring}. | |
40 | |
41 @menu | |
42 * Setting Mark:: Commands to set the mark. | |
43 * Transient Mark:: How to make Emacs highlight the region-- | |
44 when there is one. | |
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45 * Momentary Mark:: Enabling Transient Mark mode momentarily. |
25829 | 46 * Using Region:: Summary of ways to operate on contents of the region. |
47 * Marking Objects:: Commands to put region around textual units. | |
48 * Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions saved so you can go back there. | |
49 * Global Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions in various buffers. | |
50 @end menu | |
51 | |
52 @node Setting Mark | |
53 @section Setting the Mark | |
54 | |
55 Here are some commands for setting the mark: | |
56 | |
57 @table @kbd | |
58 @item C-@key{SPC} | |
59 Set the mark where point is (@code{set-mark-command}). | |
60 @item C-@@ | |
61 The same. | |
62 @item C-x C-x | |
63 Interchange mark and point (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}). | |
64 @item Drag-Mouse-1 | |
65 Set point and the mark around the text you drag across. | |
66 @item Mouse-3 | |
67 Set the mark where point is, then move point to where you click | |
68 (@code{mouse-save-then-kill}). | |
69 @end table | |
70 | |
71 For example, suppose you wish to convert part of the buffer to | |
72 upper case, using the @kbd{C-x C-u} (@code{upcase-region}) command, | |
73 which operates on the text in the region. You can first go to the | |
74 beginning of the text to be capitalized, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} to put | |
75 the mark there, move to the end, and then type @kbd{C-x C-u}. Or, you | |
76 can set the mark at the end of the text, move to the beginning, and then | |
77 type @kbd{C-x C-u}. | |
78 | |
79 @kindex C-SPC | |
80 @findex set-mark-command | |
81 The most common way to set the mark is with the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} command | |
82 (@code{set-mark-command}). This sets the mark where point is. Then you | |
83 can move point away, leaving the mark behind. | |
84 | |
85 There are two ways to set the mark with the mouse. You can drag mouse | |
86 button one across a range of text; that puts point where you release the | |
87 mouse button, and sets the mark at the other end of that range. Or you | |
88 can click mouse button three, which sets the mark at point (like | |
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89 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}) and then moves point where you clicked (like |
68512 | 90 @kbd{Mouse-1}). |
91 | |
92 Using the mouse to mark a region copies the region into the kill | |
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93 ring in addition to setting the mark; that gives behavior consistent |
68512 | 94 with other window-driven applications. If you don't want to modify |
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95 the kill ring, you must use keyboard commands to set the mark. |
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96 @xref{Mouse Commands}. |
25829 | 97 |
98 @kindex C-x C-x | |
99 @findex exchange-point-and-mark | |
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100 When Emacs was developed, terminals had only one cursor, so Emacs |
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101 does not show where the mark is located--you have to remember. If you |
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102 enable Transient Mark mode (see below), then the region is highlighted |
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103 when it is active; you can tell mark is at the other end of the |
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104 highlighted region. But this only applies when the mark is active. |
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105 |
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106 The usual solution to this problem is to set the mark and then use |
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107 it soon, before you forget where it is. Alternatively, you can see |
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108 where the mark is with the command @kbd{C-x C-x} |
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109 (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}) which puts the mark where point was |
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110 and point where the mark was. The extent of the region is unchanged, |
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111 but the cursor and point are now at the previous position of the mark. |
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112 In Transient Mark mode, this command also reactivates the mark. |
25829 | 113 |
114 @kbd{C-x C-x} is also useful when you are satisfied with the position | |
115 of point but want to move the other end of the region (where the mark | |
116 is); do @kbd{C-x C-x} to put point at that end of the region, and then | |
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117 move it. Using @kbd{C-x C-x} a second time, if necessary, puts the mark at |
25829 | 118 the new position with point back at its original position. |
119 | |
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120 For more facilities that allow you to go to previously set marks, see |
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121 @ref{Mark Ring}. |
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122 |
25829 | 123 @kindex C-@@ |
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124 There is no such character as @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} in @acronym{ASCII}; |
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125 when you type @key{SPC} while holding down @key{CTRL} on a text |
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126 terminal, what you get is the character @kbd{C-@@}. This key is also |
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127 bound to @code{set-mark-command}--so unless you are unlucky enough to |
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128 have a text terminal where typing @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} does not produce |
25829 | 129 @kbd{C-@@}, you might as well think of this character as |
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130 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}. |
25829 | 131 |
132 @node Transient Mark | |
133 @section Transient Mark Mode | |
134 @cindex mode, Transient Mark | |
135 @cindex Transient Mark mode | |
136 @cindex highlighting region | |
137 @cindex region highlighting | |
138 | |
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139 On a terminal that supports colors, Emacs has the ability to |
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140 highlight the current region. But normally it does not. Why not? |
25829 | 141 |
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142 In the normal mode of use, every command that sets the mark also |
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143 activates it, and nothing ever deactivates it. Thus, once you have |
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144 set the mark in a buffer, there is @emph{always} a region in that |
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145 buffer. Highlighting the region all the time would be a nuisance. So |
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146 normally Emacs highlights the region only immediately after you have |
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147 selected one with the mouse. |
25829 | 148 |
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149 If you want region highlighting, you can use Transient Mark mode. |
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150 This is a more rigid mode of operation in which the region ``lasts'' |
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151 only until you use it; operating on the region text deactivates the |
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152 mark, so there is no region any more. Therefore, you must explicitly |
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153 set up a region for each command that uses one. |
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154 |
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155 When Transient Mark mode is enabled, Emacs highlights the region, |
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156 whenever there is a region. In Transient Mark mode, most of the time |
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157 there is no region; therefore, highlighting the region when it exists |
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158 is useful and not annoying. |
25829 | 159 |
160 @findex transient-mark-mode | |
161 To enable Transient Mark mode, type @kbd{M-x transient-mark-mode}. | |
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162 This command toggles the mode; you can use the same command to turn |
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163 the mode off again. |
25829 | 164 |
165 Here are the details of Transient Mark mode: | |
166 | |
167 @itemize @bullet | |
168 @item | |
169 To set the mark, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} (@code{set-mark-command}). | |
38786 | 170 This makes the mark active and thus begins highlighting of the region. |
171 As you move point, you will see the highlighted region grow and | |
172 shrink. | |
25829 | 173 |
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174 @item |
25829 | 175 The mouse commands for specifying the mark also make it active. So do |
176 keyboard commands whose purpose is to specify a region, including | |
177 @kbd{M-@@}, @kbd{C-M-@@}, @kbd{M-h}, @kbd{C-M-h}, @kbd{C-x C-p}, and | |
178 @kbd{C-x h}. | |
179 | |
180 @item | |
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181 You can tell that the mark is active because the region is highlighted. |
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182 |
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183 @item |
25829 | 184 When the mark is active, you can execute commands that operate on the |
185 region, such as killing, indenting, or writing to a file. | |
186 | |
187 @item | |
188 Any change to the buffer, such as inserting or deleting a character, | |
189 deactivates the mark. This means any subsequent command that operates | |
190 on a region will get an error and refuse to operate. You can make the | |
191 region active again by typing @kbd{C-x C-x}. | |
192 | |
193 @item | |
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194 If Delete Selection mode is also enabled, some commands delete the |
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195 region when used while the mark is active. @xref{Mouse Commands}. |
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196 |
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197 @item |
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198 Quitting with @kbd{C-g} deactivates the mark. |
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199 |
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200 @item |
38786 | 201 Commands like @kbd{M->} and @kbd{C-s}, that ``leave the mark behind'' in |
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202 addition to some other primary purpose, do not activate the new mark. |
25829 | 203 You can activate the new region by executing @kbd{C-x C-x} |
204 (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}). | |
205 | |
206 @item | |
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207 Commands that normally set the mark before moving long distances (like |
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208 @kbd{M-<} and @kbd{C-s}) do not alter the mark in Transient Mark mode |
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209 when the mark is active. |
25829 | 210 |
211 @item | |
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212 Some commands operate on the region if a region is active. For |
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213 instance, @kbd{C-x u} in Transient Mark mode operates on the region, |
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214 when there is a region. (Outside Transient Mark mode, you must type |
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215 @kbd{C-u C-x u} if you want it to operate on the region.) |
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216 @xref{Undo}. Other commands that act this way are identified in their |
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217 own documentation. |
25829 | 218 @end itemize |
219 | |
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220 The highlighting of the region uses the @code{region} face; you can |
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221 customize the appearance of the highlighted region by changing this |
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222 face. @xref{Face Customization}. |
25829 | 223 |
224 @vindex highlight-nonselected-windows | |
225 When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different | |
226 regions, because they can have different values of point (though they | |
227 all share one common mark position). Ordinarily, only the selected | |
228 window highlights its region (@pxref{Windows}). However, if the | |
229 variable @code{highlight-nonselected-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then | |
230 each window highlights its own region (provided that Transient Mark mode | |
38786 | 231 is enabled and the mark in the window's buffer is active). |
25829 | 232 |
233 @vindex mark-even-if-inactive | |
234 If the variable @code{mark-even-if-inactive} is non-@code{nil} in | |
235 Transient Mark mode, then commands can use the mark and the region | |
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236 even when it is inactive. Region highlighting appears and disappears |
25829 | 237 just as it normally does in Transient Mark mode, but the mark doesn't |
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238 really go away when the highlighting disappears, so you can still use |
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239 region commands. |
25829 | 240 |
241 @cindex Zmacs mode | |
242 Transient Mark mode is also sometimes known as ``Zmacs mode'' | |
243 because the Zmacs editor on the MIT Lisp Machine handled the mark in a | |
244 similar way. | |
245 | |
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246 @node Momentary Mark |
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247 @section Using Transient Mark Mode Momentarily |
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248 |
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249 If you don't like Transient Mark mode in general, you might still |
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250 want to use it once in a while. To do this, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC} |
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251 C-@key{SPC}} or @kbd{C-u C-x C-x}. These commands set or activate the |
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252 mark, and enable Transient Mark mode only until the mark is |
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253 deactivated. |
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254 |
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255 @table @kbd |
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256 @item C-@key{SPC} C-@key{SPC} |
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257 @kindex C-@key{SPC} C-@key{SPC} |
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258 Set the mark at point (like plain @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}), and enable |
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259 Transient Mark mode just once until the mark is deactivated. (This is |
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260 not really a separate command; you are using the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} |
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261 command twice.) |
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262 |
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263 @item C-u C-x C-x |
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264 @kindex C-u C-x C-x |
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265 Activate the mark without changing it; enable Transient Mark mode just |
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266 once, until the mark is deactivated. (This is the @kbd{C-x C-x} |
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267 command, @code{exchange-point-and-mark}, with a prefix argument.) |
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268 @end table |
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269 |
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270 One of the secondary features of Transient Mark mode is that certain |
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271 commands operate only on the region, when there is an active region. |
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272 If you don't use Transient Mark mode, the region once set never |
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273 becomes inactive, so there is no way for these commands to make such a |
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274 distinction. Enabling Transient Mark mode momentarily gives you a way |
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275 to use these commands on the region. |
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276 |
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277 Momentary use of Transient Mark mode is also a way to highlight the |
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278 region for the time being. |
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279 |
25829 | 280 @node Using Region |
281 @section Operating on the Region | |
282 | |
283 @cindex operations on a marked region | |
284 Once you have a region and the mark is active, here are some of the | |
285 ways you can operate on the region: | |
286 | |
287 @itemize @bullet | |
288 @item | |
289 Kill it with @kbd{C-w} (@pxref{Killing}). | |
290 @item | |
291 Save it in a register with @kbd{C-x r s} (@pxref{Registers}). | |
292 @item | |
293 Save it in a buffer or a file (@pxref{Accumulating Text}). | |
294 @item | |
295 Convert case with @kbd{C-x C-l} or @kbd{C-x C-u} (@pxref{Case}). | |
296 @item | |
297 Indent it with @kbd{C-x @key{TAB}} or @kbd{C-M-\} (@pxref{Indentation}). | |
298 @item | |
299 Fill it as text with @kbd{M-x fill-region} (@pxref{Filling}). | |
300 @item | |
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301 Print hardcopy with @kbd{M-x print-region} (@pxref{Printing}). |
25829 | 302 @item |
303 Evaluate it as Lisp code with @kbd{M-x eval-region} (@pxref{Lisp Eval}). | |
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304 @item |
68512 | 305 Undo changes within it using @kbd{C-u C-x u} (@pxref{Undo}). |
25829 | 306 @end itemize |
307 | |
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308 Most commands that operate on the text in the region have the word |
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309 @code{region} in their names. |
25829 | 310 |
311 @node Marking Objects | |
312 @section Commands to Mark Textual Objects | |
313 | |
314 @cindex marking sections of text | |
315 Here are the commands for placing point and the mark around a textual | |
316 object such as a word, list, paragraph or page. | |
317 | |
318 @table @kbd | |
319 @item M-@@ | |
38786 | 320 Set mark after end of next word (@code{mark-word}). This command and |
25829 | 321 the following one do not move point. |
322 @item C-M-@@ | |
38786 | 323 Set mark after end of following balanced expression (@code{mark-sexp}). |
25829 | 324 @item M-h |
38786 | 325 Put region around current paragraph (@code{mark-paragraph}). |
25829 | 326 @item C-M-h |
38786 | 327 Put region around current defun (@code{mark-defun}). |
25829 | 328 @item C-x h |
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329 Put region around the entire buffer (@code{mark-whole-buffer}). |
25829 | 330 @item C-x C-p |
38786 | 331 Put region around current page (@code{mark-page}). |
25829 | 332 @end table |
333 | |
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334 @kbd{M-@@} (@code{mark-word}) puts the mark at the end of the next |
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335 word, while @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}) puts it at the end of the |
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336 next balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}). These commands handle |
73179 | 337 arguments just like @kbd{M-f} and @kbd{C-M-f}. Repeating these |
338 commands extends the region. For example, you can type either | |
339 @kbd{C-u 2 M-@@} or @kbd{M-@@ M-@@} to mark the next two words. These | |
340 commands also extend the region in Transient Mark mode, regardless of | |
341 the last command. | |
25829 | 342 |
343 @kindex C-x h | |
344 @findex mark-whole-buffer | |
345 Other commands set both point and mark, to delimit an object in the | |
346 buffer. For example, @kbd{M-h} (@code{mark-paragraph}) moves point to | |
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347 the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and |
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348 puts the mark at the end of that paragraph (@pxref{Paragraphs}). It |
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349 prepares the region so you can indent, case-convert, or kill a whole |
73179 | 350 paragraph. With a prefix argument, if the argument's value is positive, |
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351 @kbd{M-h} marks that many paragraphs starting with the one surrounding |
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352 point. If the prefix argument is @minus{}@var{n}, @kbd{M-h} also |
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353 marks @var{n} paragraphs, running back form the one surrounding point. |
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354 In that last case, point moves forward to the end of that paragraph, |
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355 and the mark goes at the start of the region. Repeating the @kbd{M-h} |
68512 | 356 command extends the region to subsequent paragraphs. |
25829 | 357 |
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358 @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun}) similarly puts point before, and the |
38786 | 359 mark after, the current (or following) major top-level definition, or |
68512 | 360 defun (@pxref{Moving by Defuns}). Repeating @kbd{C-M-h} extends |
361 the region to subsequent defuns. | |
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362 |
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363 @kbd{C-x C-p} (@code{mark-page}) puts point before the current page, |
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364 and mark at the end (@pxref{Pages}). The mark goes after the |
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365 terminating page delimiter (to include it in the region), while point |
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366 goes after the preceding page delimiter (to exclude it). A numeric |
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367 argument specifies a later page (if positive) or an earlier page (if |
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368 negative) instead of the current page. |
25829 | 369 |
370 Finally, @kbd{C-x h} (@code{mark-whole-buffer}) sets up the entire | |
371 buffer as the region, by putting point at the beginning and the mark at | |
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372 the end. (In some programs this is called ``select all.'') |
25829 | 373 |
374 In Transient Mark mode, all of these commands activate the mark. | |
375 | |
376 @node Mark Ring | |
377 @section The Mark Ring | |
378 | |
379 @kindex C-u C-SPC | |
380 @cindex mark ring | |
381 @kindex C-u C-@@ | |
382 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for | |
383 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this | |
384 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the | |
385 mark, in the @dfn{mark ring}. Commands that set the mark also push the | |
386 old mark onto this ring. To return to a marked location, use @kbd{C-u | |
38490 | 387 C-@key{SPC}} (or @kbd{C-u C-@@}); this is the command |
25829 | 388 @code{set-mark-command} given a numeric argument. It moves point to |
389 where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former | |
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390 marks. |
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391 |
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392 @vindex set-mark-command-repeat-pop |
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393 If you set @code{set-mark-command-repeat-pop} to non-@code{nil}, |
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394 then when you repeat the character @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} after typing |
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395 @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}}, each repetition moves point to a previous mark |
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396 position from the ring. The mark positions you move through in this |
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397 way are not lost; they go to the end of the ring. |
25829 | 398 |
399 Each buffer has its own mark ring. All editing commands use the current | |
400 buffer's mark ring. In particular, @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} always stays in | |
401 the same buffer. | |
402 | |
403 Many commands that can move long distances, such as @kbd{M-<} | |
404 (@code{beginning-of-buffer}), start by setting the mark and saving the | |
405 old mark on the mark ring. This is to make it easier for you to move | |
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406 back later. Searches set the mark if they move point. However, in |
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407 Transient Mark mode, these commands do not set the mark when the mark |
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408 is already active. You can tell when a command sets the mark because |
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409 it displays @samp{Mark set} in the echo area. |
25829 | 410 |
411 If you want to move back to the same place over and over, the mark | |
412 ring may not be convenient enough. If so, you can record the position | |
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413 in a register for later retrieval (@pxref{RegPos,, Saving Positions in |
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414 Registers}). |
25829 | 415 |
416 @vindex mark-ring-max | |
417 The variable @code{mark-ring-max} specifies the maximum number of | |
418 entries to keep in the mark ring. If that many entries exist and | |
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419 another one is pushed, the earliest one in the list is discarded. Repeating |
25829 | 420 @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} cycles through the positions currently in the |
421 ring. | |
422 | |
423 @vindex mark-ring | |
424 The variable @code{mark-ring} holds the mark ring itself, as a list of | |
425 marker objects, with the most recent first. This variable is local in | |
426 every buffer. | |
427 | |
428 @node Global Mark Ring | |
429 @section The Global Mark Ring | |
430 @cindex global mark ring | |
431 | |
432 In addition to the ordinary mark ring that belongs to each buffer, | |
433 Emacs has a single @dfn{global mark ring}. It records a sequence of | |
434 buffers in which you have recently set the mark, so you can go back | |
435 to those buffers. | |
436 | |
437 Setting the mark always makes an entry on the current buffer's mark | |
438 ring. If you have switched buffers since the previous mark setting, the | |
439 new mark position makes an entry on the global mark ring also. The | |
440 result is that the global mark ring records a sequence of buffers that | |
441 you have been in, and, for each buffer, a place where you set the mark. | |
442 | |
443 @kindex C-x C-@key{SPC} | |
444 @findex pop-global-mark | |
445 The command @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} (@code{pop-global-mark}) jumps to | |
446 the buffer and position of the latest entry in the global ring. It also | |
447 rotates the ring, so that successive uses of @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} take | |
448 you to earlier and earlier buffers. | |
449 | |
52401 | 450 @ignore |
451 arch-tag: f35e4d82-911b-4cfc-a3d7-3c87b2abba20 | |
452 @end ignore |