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1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,97,2000,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
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4 @node Basic, Minibuffer, Exiting, Top
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5 @chapter Basic Editing Commands
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6
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7 @kindex C-h t
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8 @findex help-with-tutorial
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9 We now give the basics of how to enter text, make corrections, and
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10 save the text in a file. If this material is new to you, you might
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11 learn it more easily by running the Emacs learn-by-doing tutorial. To
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12 use the tutorial, run Emacs and type @kbd{Control-h t}
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13 (@code{help-with-tutorial}).
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14
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15 To clear the screen and redisplay, type @kbd{C-l} (@code{recenter}).
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16
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17 @menu
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18
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19 * Inserting Text:: Inserting text by simply typing it.
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20 * Moving Point:: How to move the cursor to the place where you want to
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21 change something.
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22 * Erasing:: Deleting and killing text.
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23 * Undo:: Undoing recent changes in the text.
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24 * Files: Basic Files. Visiting, creating, and saving files.
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25 * Help: Basic Help. Asking what a character does.
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26 * Blank Lines:: Commands to make or delete blank lines.
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27 * Continuation Lines:: Lines too wide for the screen.
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28 * Position Info:: What page, line, row, or column is point on?
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29 * Arguments:: Numeric arguments for repeating a command.
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30 * Repeating:: A short-cut for repeating the previous command.
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31 @end menu
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32
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33 @node Inserting Text
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34 @section Inserting Text
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35
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36 @cindex insertion
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37 @cindex graphic characters
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38 To insert printing characters into the text you are editing, just type
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39 them. This inserts the characters you type into the buffer at the
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40 cursor (that is, at @dfn{point}; @pxref{Point}). The cursor moves
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41 forward, and any text after the cursor moves forward too. If the text
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42 in the buffer is @samp{FOOBAR}, with the cursor before the @samp{B},
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43 then if you type @kbd{XX}, you get @samp{FOOXXBAR}, with the cursor
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44 still before the @samp{B}.
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45
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46 To @dfn{delete} text you have just inserted, use the large key
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47 labeled @key{DEL}, @key{BACKSPACE} or @key{DELETE} which is a short
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48 distance above the @key{RET} or @key{ENTER} key. This is the key you
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49 normally use, outside Emacs, for erasing the last character that you
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50 typed. Regardless of the label on that key, Emacs thinks of it as
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51 @key{DEL}, and that's what we call it in this manual.
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52
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53 The @key{DEL} key deletes the character @emph{before} the cursor.
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54 As a consequence, the cursor and all the characters after it move
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55 backwards. If you type a printing character and then type @key{DEL},
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56 they cancel out.
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57
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58 On most computers, Emacs recognizes automatically which key ought to
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59 be @key{DEL}, and sets it up that way. But in some cases, especially
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60 with text-only terminals, you will need to tell Emacs which key to use
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61 for that purpose. If the large key not far above the @key{RET} or
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62 @key{ENTER} key doesn't delete backwards, you need to do this.
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63 @xref{DEL Does Not Delete}, for an explanation of how.
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64
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65 Most PC keyboards have both a @key{BACKSPACE} key a short ways above
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66 @key{RET} or @key{ENTER}, and a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere. On these
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67 keyboards, Emacs supports when possible the usual convention that the
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68 @key{BACKSPACE} key deletes backwards (it is @key{DEL}), while the
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69 @key{DELETE} key deletes ``forwards,'' deleting the character after
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70 point, the one underneath the cursor, like @kbd{C-d} (see below).
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71
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72 @kindex RET
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73 @cindex newline
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74 To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}. This
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75 inserts a newline character in the buffer. If point is in the middle of
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76 a line, @key{RET} splits the line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is
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77 at the beginning of a line deletes the preceding newline, thus joining
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78 the line with the preceding line.
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79
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80 Emacs can split lines automatically when they become too long, if you
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81 turn on a special minor mode called @dfn{Auto Fill} mode.
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82 @xref{Filling}, for how to use Auto Fill mode.
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83
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84 If you prefer to have text characters replace (overwrite) existing
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85 text rather than shove it to the right, you can enable Overwrite mode,
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86 a minor mode. @xref{Minor Modes}.
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87
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88 @cindex quoting
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89 @kindex C-q
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90 @findex quoted-insert
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91 Direct insertion works for printing characters and @key{SPC}, but other
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92 characters act as editing commands and do not insert themselves. If you
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93 need to insert a control character or a character whose code is above 200
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94 octal, you must @dfn{quote} it by typing the character @kbd{Control-q}
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95 (@code{quoted-insert}) first. (This character's name is normally written
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96 @kbd{C-q} for short.) There are two ways to use @kbd{C-q}:@refill
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97
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98 @itemize @bullet
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99 @item
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100 @kbd{C-q} followed by any non-graphic character (even @kbd{C-g})
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101 inserts that character.
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102
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103 @item
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104 @kbd{C-q} followed by a sequence of octal digits inserts the character
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105 with the specified octal character code. You can use any number of
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106 octal digits; any non-digit terminates the sequence. If the
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107 terminating character is @key{RET}, it serves only to terminate the
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108 sequence. Any other non-digit terminates the sequence and then acts
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109 as normal input---thus, @kbd{C-q 1 0 1 B} inserts @samp{AB}.
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110
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111 The use of octal sequences is disabled in ordinary non-binary
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112 Overwrite mode, to give you a convenient way to insert a digit instead
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113 of overwriting with it.
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114 @end itemize
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115
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116 @cindex 8-bit character codes
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117 @noindent
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118 When multibyte characters are enabled, if you specify a code in the
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119 range 0200 through 0377 octal, @kbd{C-q} assumes that you intend to
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120 use some ISO 8859-@var{n} character set, and converts the specified
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121 code to the corresponding Emacs character code. @xref{Enabling
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122 Multibyte}. You select @emph{which} of the ISO 8859 character sets to
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123 use through your choice of language environment (@pxref{Language
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124 Environments}).
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125
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126 @vindex read-quoted-char-radix
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127 To use decimal or hexadecimal instead of octal, set the variable
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128 @code{read-quoted-char-radix} to 10 or 16. If the radix is greater than
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129 10, some letters starting with @kbd{a} serve as part of a character
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130 code, just like digits.
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131
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132 A numeric argument to @kbd{C-q} specifies how many copies of the
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133 quoted character should be inserted (@pxref{Arguments}).
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134
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135 @findex newline
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136 @findex self-insert
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137 Customization information: @key{DEL} in most modes runs the command
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138 @code{delete-backward-char}; @key{RET} runs the command @code{newline}, and
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139 self-inserting printing characters run the command @code{self-insert},
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140 which inserts whatever character was typed to invoke it. Some major modes
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141 rebind @key{DEL} to other commands.
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142
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143 @node Moving Point
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144 @section Changing the Location of Point
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145
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146 @cindex arrow keys
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147 @cindex moving point
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148 @cindex movement
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149 @cindex cursor motion
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150 @cindex moving the cursor
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151 To do more than insert characters, you have to know how to move point
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152 (@pxref{Point}). The simplest way to do this is with arrow keys, or by
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153 clicking the left mouse button where you want to move to.
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154
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155 There are also control and meta characters for cursor motion. Some
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156 are equivalent to the arrow keys (these date back to the days before
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157 terminals had arrow keys, and are usable on terminals which don't have
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158 them). Others do more sophisticated things.
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159
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160 @kindex C-a
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161 @kindex C-e
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162 @kindex C-f
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163 @kindex C-b
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164 @kindex C-n
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165 @kindex C-p
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166 @kindex M->
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167 @kindex M-<
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168 @kindex M-r
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169 @kindex LEFT
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170 @kindex RIGHT
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171 @kindex UP
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172 @kindex DOWN
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173 @findex beginning-of-line
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174 @findex end-of-line
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175 @findex forward-char
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176 @findex backward-char
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177 @findex next-line
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178 @findex previous-line
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179 @findex beginning-of-buffer
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180 @findex end-of-buffer
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181 @findex goto-char
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182 @findex goto-line
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183 @findex move-to-window-line
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184 @table @kbd
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185 @item C-a
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186 Move to the beginning of the line (@code{beginning-of-line}).
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187 @item C-e
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188 Move to the end of the line (@code{end-of-line}).
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189 @item C-f
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190 Move forward one character (@code{forward-char}). The right-arrow key
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191 does the same thing.
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192 @item C-b
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193 Move backward one character (@code{backward-char}). The left-arrow
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194 key has the same effect.
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195 @item M-f
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196 Move forward one word (@code{forward-word}).
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197 @item M-b
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198 Move backward one word (@code{backward-word}).
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199 @item C-n
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200 Move down one line, vertically (@code{next-line}). This command
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201 attempts to keep the horizontal position unchanged, so if you start in
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202 the middle of one line, you end in the middle of the next. The
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203 down-arrow key does the same thing.
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204 @item C-p
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205 Move up one line, vertically (@code{previous-line}). The up-arrow key
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206 has the same effect.
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207 @item M-r
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208 Move point to left margin, vertically centered in the window
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209 (@code{move-to-window-line}). Text does not move on the screen.
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210
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211 A numeric argument says which screen line to place point on. It counts
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212 screen lines down from the top of the window (zero for the top line). A
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213 negative argument counts lines from the bottom (@minus{}1 for the bottom
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214 line).
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215 @item M-<
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216 Move to the top of the buffer (@code{beginning-of-buffer}). With
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217 numeric argument @var{n}, move to @var{n}/10 of the way from the top.
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218 @xref{Arguments}, for more information on numeric arguments.@refill
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219 @item M->
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220 Move to the end of the buffer (@code{end-of-buffer}).
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221 @item C-v
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222 Scroll the display one screen forward, and move point if necessary to put
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223 it on the screen (@code{scroll-up}). This doesn't always
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224 move point, but it is commonly used to do so.
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225 If your keyboard has a @key{PAGEDOWN} key, it does the same thing.
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226
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227 Scrolling commands are further described in @ref{Scrolling}.
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228 @item M-v
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229 Scroll one screen backward, and move point if necessary to put it on
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230 the screen (@code{scroll-down}). This doesn't always move point, but
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231 it is commonly used to do so. The @key{PAGEUP} key has the same
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232 effect.
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233 @item M-x goto-char
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234 Read a number @var{n} and move point to buffer position @var{n}.
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235 Position 1 is the beginning of the buffer.
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236 @item M-x goto-line
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237 Read a number @var{n} and move point to line number @var{n}. Line 1
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238 is the beginning of the buffer.
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239 @item C-x C-n
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240 @findex set-goal-column
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241 @kindex C-x C-n
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242 Use the current column of point as the @dfn{semipermanent goal column} for
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243 @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} (@code{set-goal-column}). Henceforth, those
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244 commands always move to this column in each line moved into, or as
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245 close as possible given the contents of the line. This goal column remains
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246 in effect until canceled.
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247 @item C-u C-x C-n
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248 Cancel the goal column. Henceforth, @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} once
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249 again try to stick to a fixed horizontal position, as usual.
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250 @end table
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251
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252 @vindex track-eol
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253 If you set the variable @code{track-eol} to a non-@code{nil} value,
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254 then @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}, when starting at the end of the line, move
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255 to the end of another line. Normally, @code{track-eol} is @code{nil}.
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256 @xref{Variables}, for how to set variables such as @code{track-eol}.
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257
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258 @vindex next-line-add-newlines
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259 @kbd{C-n} normally gets an error when you use it on the last line of
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260 the buffer (just as @kbd{C-p} gets an error on the first line). But
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261 if you set the variable @code{next-line-add-newlines} to a
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262 non-@code{nil} value, @kbd{C-n} on the last line of a buffer creates
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263 an additional line at the end and moves down onto it.
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264
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265 @node Erasing
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266 @section Erasing Text
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267
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268 @table @kbd
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269 @item @key{DEL}
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270 Delete the character before point (@code{delete-backward-char}).
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271 @item C-d
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272 Delete the character after point (@code{delete-char}).
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273 @item @key{DELETE}
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274 @itemx @key{BACKSPACE}
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275 One of these keys, whichever is the large key above the @key{RET} or
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276 @key{ENTER} key, deletes the character before point, like @key{DEL}.
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277 If that is @key{BACKSPACE}, and your keyboard also has @key{DELETE},
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Richard M. Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
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278 then @key{DELETE} deletes forwards, like @kbd{C-d}.
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279 @item C-k
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280 Kill to the end of the line (@code{kill-line}).
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281 @item M-d
|
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282 Kill forward to the end of the next word (@code{kill-word}).
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283 @item M-@key{DEL}
|
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284 Kill back to the beginning of the previous word
|
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285 (@code{backward-kill-word}).
|
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286 @end table
|
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287
|
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288 @cindex killing characters and lines
|
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289 @cindex deleting characters and lines
|
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290 @cindex erasing characters and lines
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291 You already know about the @key{DEL} key which deletes the character
|
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292 before point (that is, before the cursor). Another key, @kbd{Control-d}
|
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293 (@kbd{C-d} for short), deletes the character after point (that is, the
|
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294 character that the cursor is on). This shifts the rest of the text on
|
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295 the line to the left. If you type @kbd{C-d} at the end of a line, it
|
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296 joins together that line and the next line.
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297
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298 To erase a larger amount of text, use the @kbd{C-k} key, which kills a
|
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299 line at a time. If you type @kbd{C-k} at the beginning or middle of a
|
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300 line, it kills all the text up to the end of the line. If you type
|
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301 @kbd{C-k} at the end of a line, it joins that line and the next line.
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302
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303 @xref{Killing}, for more flexible ways of killing text.
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|
304
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305 @node Undo
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306 @section Undoing Changes
|
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307 @cindex undo
|
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308 @cindex changes, undoing
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309
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310 You can undo all the recent changes in the buffer text, up to a
|
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311 certain point. Each buffer records changes individually, and the undo
|
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312 command always applies to the current buffer. Usually each editing
|
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313 command makes a separate entry in the undo records, but some commands
|
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314 such as @code{query-replace} make many entries, and very simple commands
|
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315 such as self-inserting characters are often grouped to make undoing less
|
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316 tedious.
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317
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318 @table @kbd
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319 @item C-x u
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320 Undo one batch of changes---usually, one command worth (@code{undo}).
|
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321 @item C-_
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322 The same.
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323 @item C-u C-x u
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324 Undo one batch of changes in the region.
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325 @end table
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326
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327 @kindex C-x u
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328 @kindex C-_
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329 @findex undo
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330 The command @kbd{C-x u} or @kbd{C-_} is how you undo. The first time
|
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331 you give this command, it undoes the last change. Point moves back to
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332 where it was before the command that made the change.
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333
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334 Consecutive repetitions of @kbd{C-_} or @kbd{C-x u} undo earlier and
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335 earlier changes, back to the limit of the undo information available.
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336 If all recorded changes have already been undone, the undo command
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337 displays an error message and does nothing.
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338
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339 Any command other than an undo command breaks the sequence of undo
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340 commands. Starting from that moment, the previous undo commands become
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341 ordinary changes that you can undo. Thus, to redo changes you have
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342 undone, type @kbd{C-f} or any other command that will harmlessly break
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343 the sequence of undoing, then type more undo commands.
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344
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345 @cindex selective undo
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346 @kindex C-u C-x u
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347 Ordinary undo applies to all changes made in the current buffer. You
|
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348 can also perform @dfn{selective undo}, limited to the current region.
|
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349 To do this, specify the region you want, then run the @code{undo}
|
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350 command with a prefix argument (the value does not matter): @kbd{C-u C-x
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351 u} or @kbd{C-u C-_}. This undoes the most recent change in the region.
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352 To undo further changes in the same region, repeat the @code{undo}
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353 command (no prefix argument is needed). In Transient Mark mode, any use
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354 of @code{undo} when there is an active region performs selective undo;
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355 you do not need a prefix argument.
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356
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357 If you notice that a buffer has been modified accidentally, the
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358 easiest way to recover is to type @kbd{C-_} repeatedly until the stars
|
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359 disappear from the front of the mode line. At this time, all the
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360 modifications you made have been canceled. Whenever an undo command
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361 makes the stars disappear from the mode line, it means that the buffer
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362 contents are the same as they were when the file was last read in or
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363 saved.
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364
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365 If you do not remember whether you changed the buffer deliberately,
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366 type @kbd{C-_} once. When you see the last change you made undone, you
|
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367 will see whether it was an intentional change. If it was an accident,
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368 leave it undone. If it was deliberate, redo the change as described
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369 above.
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370
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371 Not all buffers record undo information. Buffers whose names start with
|
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372 spaces don't; these buffers are used internally by Emacs and its extensions
|
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373 to hold text that users don't normally look at or edit.
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374
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375 You cannot undo mere cursor motion; only changes in the buffer
|
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376 contents save undo information. However, some cursor motion commands
|
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377 set the mark, so if you use these commands from time to time, you can
|
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378 move back to the neighborhoods you have moved through by popping the
|
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379 mark ring (@pxref{Mark Ring}).
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380
|
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381 @vindex undo-limit
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382 @vindex undo-strong-limit
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383 @cindex undo limit
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384 When the undo information for a buffer becomes too large, Emacs
|
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385 discards the oldest undo information from time to time (during garbage
|
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386 collection). You can specify how much undo information to keep by
|
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387 setting two variables: @code{undo-limit} and @code{undo-strong-limit}.
|
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388 Their values are expressed in units of bytes of space.
|
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389
|
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390 The variable @code{undo-limit} sets a soft limit: Emacs keeps undo
|
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391 data for enough commands to reach this size, and perhaps exceed it, but
|
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392 does not keep data for any earlier commands beyond that. Its default
|
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393 value is 20000. The variable @code{undo-strong-limit} sets a stricter
|
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394 limit: the command which pushes the size past this amount is itself
|
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395 forgotten. Its default value is 30000.
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396
|
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397 Regardless of the values of those variables, the most recent change is
|
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398 never discarded, so there is no danger that garbage collection occurring
|
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399 right after an unintentional large change might prevent you from undoing
|
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400 it.
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401
|
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402 The reason the @code{undo} command has two keys, @kbd{C-x u} and
|
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403 @kbd{C-_}, set up to run it is that it is worthy of a single-character
|
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404 key, but on some keyboards it is not obvious how to type @kbd{C-_}.
|
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405 @kbd{C-x u} is an alternative you can type straightforwardly on any
|
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406 terminal.
|
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407
|
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408 @node Basic Files
|
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409 @section Files
|
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410
|
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411 The commands described above are sufficient for creating and altering
|
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412 text in an Emacs buffer; the more advanced Emacs commands just make
|
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413 things easier. But to keep any text permanently you must put it in a
|
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414 @dfn{file}. Files are named units of text which are stored by the
|
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415 operating system for you to retrieve later by name. To look at or use
|
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416 the contents of a file in any way, including editing the file with
|
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417 Emacs, you must specify the file name.
|
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418
|
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419 Consider a file named @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. In Emacs, to begin editing
|
|
420 this file, type
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421
|
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422 @example
|
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423 C-x C-f /usr/rms/foo.c @key{RET}
|
|
424 @end example
|
|
425
|
|
426 @noindent
|
|
427 Here the file name is given as an @dfn{argument} to the command @kbd{C-x
|
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428 C-f} (@code{find-file}). That command uses the @dfn{minibuffer} to
|
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429 read the argument, and you type @key{RET} to terminate the argument
|
|
430 (@pxref{Minibuffer}).@refill
|
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431
|
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432 Emacs obeys the command by @dfn{visiting} the file: creating a buffer,
|
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433 copying the contents of the file into the buffer, and then displaying
|
|
434 the buffer for you to edit. If you alter the text, you can @dfn{save}
|
|
435 the new text in the file by typing @kbd{C-x C-s} (@code{save-buffer}).
|
|
436 This makes the changes permanent by copying the altered buffer contents
|
|
437 back into the file @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. Until you save, the changes
|
|
438 exist only inside Emacs, and the file @file{foo.c} is unaltered.
|
|
439
|
|
440 To create a file, just visit the file with @kbd{C-x C-f} as if it
|
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441 already existed. This creates an empty buffer in which you can insert
|
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442 the text you want to put in the file. The file is actually created when
|
|
443 you save this buffer with @kbd{C-x C-s}.
|
|
444
|
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445 Of course, there is a lot more to learn about using files. @xref{Files}.
|
|
446
|
|
447 @node Basic Help
|
|
448 @section Help
|
|
449
|
|
450 @cindex getting help with keys
|
|
451 If you forget what a key does, you can find out with the Help
|
|
452 character, which is @kbd{C-h} (or @key{F1}, which is an alias for
|
|
453 @kbd{C-h}). Type @kbd{C-h k} followed by the key you want to know
|
|
454 about; for example, @kbd{C-h k C-n} tells you all about what @kbd{C-n}
|
|
455 does. @kbd{C-h} is a prefix key; @kbd{C-h k} is just one of its
|
|
456 subcommands (the command @code{describe-key}). The other subcommands of
|
|
457 @kbd{C-h} provide different kinds of help. Type @kbd{C-h} twice to get
|
|
458 a description of all the help facilities. @xref{Help}.@refill
|
|
459
|
|
460 @node Blank Lines
|
|
461 @section Blank Lines
|
|
462
|
|
463 @cindex inserting blank lines
|
|
464 @cindex deleting blank lines
|
|
465 Here are special commands and techniques for putting in and taking out
|
|
466 blank lines.
|
|
467
|
|
468 @table @kbd
|
|
469 @item C-o
|
|
470 Insert one or more blank lines after the cursor (@code{open-line}).
|
|
471 @item C-x C-o
|
|
472 Delete all but one of many consecutive blank lines
|
|
473 (@code{delete-blank-lines}).
|
|
474 @end table
|
|
475
|
|
476 @kindex C-o
|
|
477 @kindex C-x C-o
|
|
478 @cindex blank lines
|
|
479 @findex open-line
|
|
480 @findex delete-blank-lines
|
|
481 When you want to insert a new line of text before an existing line, you
|
|
482 can do it by typing the new line of text, followed by @key{RET}.
|
|
483 However, it may be easier to see what you are doing if you first make a
|
|
484 blank line and then insert the desired text into it. This is easy to do
|
|
485 using the key @kbd{C-o} (@code{open-line}), which inserts a newline
|
|
486 after point but leaves point in front of the newline. After @kbd{C-o},
|
|
487 type the text for the new line. @kbd{C-o F O O} has the same effect as
|
|
488 @w{@kbd{F O O @key{RET}}}, except for the final location of point.
|
|
489
|
|
490 You can make several blank lines by typing @kbd{C-o} several times, or
|
|
491 by giving it a numeric argument to tell it how many blank lines to make.
|
|
492 @xref{Arguments}, for how. If you have a fill prefix, then @kbd{C-o}
|
|
493 command inserts the fill prefix on the new line, when you use it at the
|
|
494 beginning of a line. @xref{Fill Prefix}.
|
|
495
|
|
496 The easy way to get rid of extra blank lines is with the command
|
|
497 @kbd{C-x C-o} (@code{delete-blank-lines}). @kbd{C-x C-o} in a run of
|
|
498 several blank lines deletes all but one of them. @kbd{C-x C-o} on a
|
|
499 solitary blank line deletes that blank line. When point is on a
|
|
500 nonblank line, @kbd{C-x C-o} deletes any blank lines following that
|
|
501 nonblank line.
|
|
502
|
|
503 @node Continuation Lines
|
|
504 @section Continuation Lines
|
|
505
|
|
506 @cindex continuation line
|
|
507 @cindex wrapping
|
|
508 @cindex line wrapping
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|
509 @cindex fringes, and continuation lines
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|
510 If you add too many characters to one line without breaking it with
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511 @key{RET}, the line grows to occupy two (or more) lines on the screen.
|
|
512 On graphical displays, Emacs indicates line wrapping with small bent
|
|
513 arrows in the fringes to the left and right of the window. On
|
|
514 text-only terminals, Emacs displays a @samp{\} character at the right
|
|
515 margin of a screen line if it is not the last in its text line. This
|
|
516 @samp{\} character says that the following screen line is not really a
|
|
517 distinct line in the text, just a @dfn{continuation} of a line too
|
|
518 long to fit the screen. Continuation is also called @dfn{line
|
|
519 wrapping}.
|
|
520
|
|
521 When line wrapping occurs before a character that is wider than one
|
|
522 column, some columns at the end of the previous screen line may be
|
|
523 ``empty.'' In this case, Emacs displays additional @samp{\}
|
|
524 characters in the ``empty'' columns, just before the @samp{\}
|
|
525 character that indicates continuation.
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|
526
|
|
527 Sometimes it is nice to have Emacs insert newlines automatically when
|
|
528 a line gets too long. Continuation on the screen does not do that. Use
|
|
529 Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling}) if that's what you want.
|
|
530
|
|
531 @vindex truncate-lines
|
|
532 @cindex truncation
|
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|
533 @cindex line truncation, and fringes
|
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|
534 As an alternative to continuation, Emacs can display long lines by
|
35206
|
535 @dfn{truncation}. This means that all the characters that do not fit
|
|
536 in the width of the screen or window do not appear at all. They
|
|
537 remain in the buffer, temporarily invisible. On terminals, @samp{$}
|
36140
|
538 in the last column informs you that the line has been truncated on the
|
|
539 display. On window systems, a small straight arrow in the fringe to
|
|
540 the right of the window indicates a truncated line.
|
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|
541
|
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|
542 @findex toggle-truncate-lines
|
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|
543 Truncation instead of continuation happens whenever horizontal
|
|
544 scrolling is in use, and optionally in all side-by-side windows
|
36140
|
545 (@pxref{Windows}). You can enable or disable truncation for a
|
|
546 particular buffer with the command @kbd{M-x toggle-truncate-lines}.
|
31952
|
547
|
36209
|
548 @xref{Display Custom}, for additional variables that affect how text is
|
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|
549 displayed.
|
|
550
|
|
551 @node Position Info
|
|
552 @section Cursor Position Information
|
|
553
|
|
554 Here are commands to get information about the size and position of
|
|
555 parts of the buffer, and to count lines.
|
|
556
|
|
557 @table @kbd
|
|
558 @item M-x what-page
|
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|
559 Display the page number of point, and the line number within the page.
|
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|
560 @item M-x what-line
|
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|
561 Display the line number of point in the buffer.
|
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|
562 @item M-x line-number-mode
|
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|
563 @itemx M-x column-number-mode
|
|
564 Toggle automatic display of current line number or column number.
|
|
565 @xref{Optional Mode Line}.
|
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|
566 @item M-=
|
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|
567 Display the number of lines in the current region (@code{count-lines-region}).
|
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|
568 @xref{Mark}, for information about the region.
|
|
569 @item C-x =
|
36140
|
570 Display the character code of character after point, character position of
|
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571 point, and column of point (@code{what-cursor-position}).
|
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|
572 @item M-x hl-line-mode
|
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573 Enable or disable highlighting of the current line. @xref{Cursor
|
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Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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574 Display}.
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|
575 @end table
|
|
576
|
|
577 @findex what-page
|
|
578 @findex what-line
|
|
579 @cindex line number commands
|
|
580 @cindex location of point
|
|
581 @cindex cursor location
|
|
582 @cindex point location
|
|
583 There are two commands for working with line numbers. @kbd{M-x
|
|
584 what-line} computes the current line number and displays it in the echo
|
|
585 area. To go to a given line by number, use @kbd{M-x goto-line}; it
|
|
586 prompts you for the number. These line numbers count from one at the
|
|
587 beginning of the buffer.
|
|
588
|
37152
|
589 You can also see the current line number in the mode line; see @ref{Mode
|
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|
590 Line}. If you narrow the buffer, then the line number in the mode line
|
|
591 is relative to the accessible portion (@pxref{Narrowing}). By contrast,
|
|
592 @code{what-line} shows both the line number relative to the narrowed
|
|
593 region and the line number relative to the whole buffer.
|
|
594
|
37152
|
595 @kbd{M-x what-page} counts pages from the beginning of the file, and
|
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|
596 counts lines within the page, showing both numbers in the echo area.
|
|
597 @xref{Pages}.
|
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|
598
|
|
599 @kindex M-=
|
|
600 @findex count-lines-region
|
|
601 While on this subject, we might as well mention @kbd{M-=} (@code{count-lines-region}),
|
38870
|
602 which displays the number of lines in the region (@pxref{Mark}).
|
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|
603 @xref{Pages}, for the command @kbd{C-x l} which counts the lines in the
|
|
604 current page.
|
|
605
|
|
606 @kindex C-x =
|
|
607 @findex what-cursor-position
|
46040
|
608 The command @kbd{C-x =} (@code{what-cursor-position}) shows what
|
|
609 column the cursor is in, and other miscellaneous information about
|
|
610 point and the character after it. It displays a line in the echo area
|
|
611 that looks like this:
|
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|
612
|
|
613 @smallexample
|
|
614 Char: c (0143, 99, 0x63) point=21044 of 26883(78%) column 53
|
|
615 @end smallexample
|
|
616
|
|
617 @noindent
|
|
618 (In fact, this is the output produced when point is before the
|
|
619 @samp{column} in the example.)
|
|
620
|
|
621 The four values after @samp{Char:} describe the character that follows
|
|
622 point, first by showing it and then by giving its character code in
|
|
623 octal, decimal and hex. For a non-ASCII multibyte character, these are
|
|
624 followed by @samp{ext} and the character's representation, in hex, in
|
|
625 the buffer's coding system, if that coding system encodes the character
|
|
626 safely and with a single byte (@pxref{Coding Systems}). If the
|
|
627 character's encoding is longer than one byte, Emacs shows @samp{ext ...}.
|
|
628
|
|
629 @samp{point=} is followed by the position of point expressed as a character
|
|
630 count. The front of the buffer counts as position 1, one character later
|
|
631 as 2, and so on. The next, larger, number is the total number of characters
|
|
632 in the buffer. Afterward in parentheses comes the position expressed as a
|
|
633 percentage of the total size.
|
|
634
|
|
635 @samp{column} is followed by the horizontal position of point, in
|
|
636 columns from the left edge of the window.
|
|
637
|
|
638 If the buffer has been narrowed, making some of the text at the
|
38870
|
639 beginning and the end temporarily inaccessible, @kbd{C-x =} displays
|
25829
|
640 additional text describing the currently accessible range. For example, it
|
|
641 might display this:
|
|
642
|
|
643 @smallexample
|
|
644 Char: C (0103, 67, 0x43) point=252 of 889(28%) <231 - 599> column 0
|
|
645 @end smallexample
|
|
646
|
|
647 @noindent
|
|
648 where the two extra numbers give the smallest and largest character
|
|
649 position that point is allowed to assume. The characters between those
|
|
650 two positions are the accessible ones. @xref{Narrowing}.
|
|
651
|
|
652 If point is at the end of the buffer (or the end of the accessible
|
|
653 part), the @w{@kbd{C-x =}} output does not describe a character after
|
|
654 point. The output might look like this:
|
|
655
|
|
656 @smallexample
|
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Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
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|
657 point=26957 of 26956(100%) column 0
|
25829
|
658 @end smallexample
|
|
659
|
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|
660 @cindex character set of character at point
|
45313
|
661 @cindex font of character at point
|
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662 @cindex text properties at point
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663 @w{@kbd{C-u C-x =}} displays additional information about a
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664 character, including the character set name and the codes that
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665 identify the character within that character set; ASCII characters are
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666 identified as belonging to the @code{ascii} character set. It also
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667 shows the character's syntax, categories, and encodings both
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668 internally in the buffer and externally if you save the file. It also
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669 shows the character's text properties (@pxref{Text Properties,,,
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670 elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}), and any overlays containing it
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671 (@pxref{Overlays,,, elisp, the same manual}).
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672
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673 Here's an example showing the Latin-1 character A with grave accent,
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674 in a buffer whose coding system is @code{iso-2022-7bit}, whose
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675 terminal coding system is @code{iso-latin-1} (so the terminal actually
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676 displays the character as @samp{@`A}), and which has font-lock-mode
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677 (@pxref{Font Lock}) enabled:
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678
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679 @smallexample
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680 character: @`A (04300, 2240, 0x8c0)
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681 charset: latin-iso8859-1
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682 (Right-Hand Part of Latin Alphabet 1@dots{}
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683 code point: 64
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684 syntax: w which means: word
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685 category: l:Latin
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686 buffer code: 0x81 0xC0
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687 file code: ESC 2C 41 40 (encoded by coding system iso-2022-7bit)
|
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688 terminal code: C0
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689
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690 Text properties
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691 font-lock-face: font-lock-variable-name-face
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692 fontified: t
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693 @end smallexample
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694
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|
695 @node Arguments
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|
696 @section Numeric Arguments
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|
697 @cindex numeric arguments
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|
698 @cindex prefix arguments
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699 @cindex arguments to commands
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700
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|
701 In mathematics and computer usage, the word @dfn{argument} means
|
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702 ``data provided to a function or operation.'' You can give any Emacs
|
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703 command a @dfn{numeric argument} (also called a @dfn{prefix argument}).
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|
704 Some commands interpret the argument as a repetition count. For
|
|
705 example, @kbd{C-f} with an argument of ten moves forward ten characters
|
|
706 instead of one. With these commands, no argument is equivalent to an
|
|
707 argument of one. Negative arguments tell most such commands to move or
|
|
708 act in the opposite direction.
|
|
709
|
|
710 @kindex M-1
|
|
711 @kindex M-@t{-}
|
|
712 @findex digit-argument
|
|
713 @findex negative-argument
|
|
714 If your terminal keyboard has a @key{META} key, the easiest way to
|
|
715 specify a numeric argument is to type digits and/or a minus sign while
|
|
716 holding down the @key{META} key. For example,
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717
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718 @example
|
|
719 M-5 C-n
|
|
720 @end example
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721
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722 @noindent
|
|
723 would move down five lines. The characters @kbd{Meta-1}, @kbd{Meta-2},
|
|
724 and so on, as well as @kbd{Meta--}, do this because they are keys bound
|
|
725 to commands (@code{digit-argument} and @code{negative-argument}) that
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726 are defined to contribute to an argument for the next command.
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727 @kbd{Meta--} without digits normally means @minus{}1. Digits and
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728 @kbd{-} modified with Control, or Control and Meta, also specify numeric
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|
729 arguments.
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730
|
|
731 @kindex C-u
|
|
732 @findex universal-argument
|
|
733 Another way of specifying an argument is to use the @kbd{C-u}
|
|
734 (@code{universal-argument}) command followed by the digits of the
|
|
735 argument. With @kbd{C-u}, you can type the argument digits without
|
|
736 holding down modifier keys; @kbd{C-u} works on all terminals. To type a
|
|
737 negative argument, type a minus sign after @kbd{C-u}. Just a minus sign
|
|
738 without digits normally means @minus{}1.
|
|
739
|
|
740 @kbd{C-u} followed by a character which is neither a digit nor a minus
|
|
741 sign has the special meaning of ``multiply by four.'' It multiplies the
|
|
742 argument for the next command by four. @kbd{C-u} twice multiplies it by
|
|
743 sixteen. Thus, @kbd{C-u C-u C-f} moves forward sixteen characters. This
|
|
744 is a good way to move forward ``fast,'' since it moves about 1/5 of a line
|
|
745 in the usual size screen. Other useful combinations are @kbd{C-u C-n},
|
|
746 @kbd{C-u C-u C-n} (move down a good fraction of a screen), @kbd{C-u C-u
|
|
747 C-o} (make ``a lot'' of blank lines), and @kbd{C-u C-k} (kill four
|
|
748 lines).@refill
|
|
749
|
|
750 Some commands care only about whether there is an argument, and not about
|
|
751 its value. For example, the command @kbd{M-q} (@code{fill-paragraph}) with
|
|
752 no argument fills text; with an argument, it justifies the text as well.
|
|
753 (@xref{Filling}, for more information on @kbd{M-q}.) Plain @kbd{C-u} is a
|
|
754 handy way of providing an argument for such commands.
|
|
755
|
|
756 Some commands use the value of the argument as a repeat count, but do
|
|
757 something peculiar when there is no argument. For example, the command
|
|
758 @kbd{C-k} (@code{kill-line}) with argument @var{n} kills @var{n} lines,
|
|
759 including their terminating newlines. But @kbd{C-k} with no argument is
|
|
760 special: it kills the text up to the next newline, or, if point is right at
|
|
761 the end of the line, it kills the newline itself. Thus, two @kbd{C-k}
|
|
762 commands with no arguments can kill a nonblank line, just like @kbd{C-k}
|
|
763 with an argument of one. (@xref{Killing}, for more information on
|
|
764 @kbd{C-k}.)@refill
|
|
765
|
|
766 A few commands treat a plain @kbd{C-u} differently from an ordinary
|
|
767 argument. A few others may treat an argument of just a minus sign
|
|
768 differently from an argument of @minus{}1. These unusual cases are
|
|
769 described when they come up; they are always for reasons of convenience
|
|
770 of use of the individual command.
|
|
771
|
|
772 You can use a numeric argument to insert multiple copies of a
|
|
773 character. This is straightforward unless the character is a digit; for
|
|
774 example, @kbd{C-u 6 4 a} inserts 64 copies of the character @samp{a}.
|
|
775 But this does not work for inserting digits; @kbd{C-u 6 4 1} specifies
|
|
776 an argument of 641, rather than inserting anything. To separate the
|
|
777 digit to insert from the argument, type another @kbd{C-u}; for example,
|
|
778 @kbd{C-u 6 4 C-u 1} does insert 64 copies of the character @samp{1}.
|
|
779
|
|
780 We use the term ``prefix argument'' as well as ``numeric argument'' to
|
|
781 emphasize that you type the argument before the command, and to
|
|
782 distinguish these arguments from minibuffer arguments that come after
|
|
783 the command.
|
|
784
|
|
785 @node Repeating
|
|
786 @section Repeating a Command
|
|
787 @cindex repeating a command
|
|
788
|
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|
789 Many simple commands, such as those invoked with a single key or
|
|
790 with @kbd{M-x @var{command-name} @key{RET}}, can be repeated by
|
|
791 invoking them with a numeric argument that serves as a repeat count
|
|
792 (@pxref{Arguments}). However, if the command you want to repeat
|
|
793 prompts for some input, or uses a numeric argument in another way,
|
|
794 repetition using a numeric argument might be problematical.
|
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|
795
|
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|
796 @kindex C-x z
|
|
797 @findex repeat
|
|
798 The command @kbd{C-x z} (@code{repeat}) provides another way to repeat
|
|
799 an Emacs command many times. This command repeats the previous Emacs
|
|
800 command, whatever that was. Repeating a command uses the same arguments
|
|
801 that were used before; it does not read new arguments each time.
|
|
802
|
|
803 To repeat the command more than once, type additional @kbd{z}'s: each
|
|
804 @kbd{z} repeats the command one more time. Repetition ends when you
|
|
805 type a character other than @kbd{z}, or press a mouse button.
|
|
806
|
|
807 For example, suppose you type @kbd{C-u 2 0 C-d} to delete 20
|
|
808 characters. You can repeat that command (including its argument) three
|
|
809 additional times, to delete a total of 80 characters, by typing @kbd{C-x
|
|
810 z z z}. The first @kbd{C-x z} repeats the command once, and each
|
|
811 subsequent @kbd{z} repeats it once again.
|
|
812
|