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annotate man/mark.texi @ 60538:edce5aeb8af5
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author | Nick Roberts <nickrob@snap.net.nz> |
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date | Wed, 09 Mar 2005 23:18:27 +0000 |
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25829 | 1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
39287 | 2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
25829 | 3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
4 @node Mark, Killing, Help, Top | |
5 @chapter The Mark and the Region | |
6 @cindex mark | |
7 @cindex setting a mark | |
8 @cindex region | |
9 | |
10 Many Emacs commands operate on an arbitrary contiguous part of the | |
11 current buffer. To specify the text for such a command to operate on, | |
12 you set @dfn{the mark} at one end of it, and move point to the other | |
13 end. The text between point and the mark is called @dfn{the region}. | |
14 Emacs highlights the region whenever there is one, if you enable | |
15 Transient Mark mode (@pxref{Transient Mark}). | |
16 | |
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17 Certain Emacs commands set the mark; other editing commands do not |
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18 affect it, so the mark remains where you set it last. Each Emacs |
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19 buffer has its own mark, and setting the mark in one buffer has no |
38786 | 20 effect on other buffers' marks. When you return to a buffer that was |
21 current earlier, its mark is at the same place as before. | |
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22 |
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23 The ends of the region are always point and the mark. It doesn't |
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24 matter which of them was put in its current place first, or which one |
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25 comes earlier in the text---the region starts from point or the mark |
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26 (whichever comes first), and ends at point or the mark (whichever |
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27 comes last). Every time you move point, or set the mark in a new |
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28 place, the region changes. |
25829 | 29 |
30 Many commands that insert text, such as @kbd{C-y} (@code{yank}) and | |
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31 @kbd{M-x insert-buffer}, position point and the mark at opposite ends |
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32 of the inserted text, so that the region consists of the text just |
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33 inserted. |
25829 | 34 |
35 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for | |
36 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this | |
37 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the | |
38 mark in the @dfn{mark ring}. | |
39 | |
40 @menu | |
41 * Setting Mark:: Commands to set the mark. | |
42 * Transient Mark:: How to make Emacs highlight the region-- | |
43 when there is one. | |
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44 * Momentary Mark:: Enabling Transient Mark mode momentarily. |
25829 | 45 * Using Region:: Summary of ways to operate on contents of the region. |
46 * Marking Objects:: Commands to put region around textual units. | |
47 * Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions saved so you can go back there. | |
48 * Global Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions in various buffers. | |
49 @end menu | |
50 | |
51 @node Setting Mark | |
52 @section Setting the Mark | |
53 | |
54 Here are some commands for setting the mark: | |
55 | |
56 @table @kbd | |
57 @item C-@key{SPC} | |
58 Set the mark where point is (@code{set-mark-command}). | |
59 @item C-@@ | |
60 The same. | |
61 @item C-x C-x | |
62 Interchange mark and point (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}). | |
63 @item Drag-Mouse-1 | |
64 Set point and the mark around the text you drag across. | |
65 @item Mouse-3 | |
66 Set the mark where point is, then move point to where you click | |
67 (@code{mouse-save-then-kill}). | |
68 @end table | |
69 | |
70 For example, suppose you wish to convert part of the buffer to | |
71 upper case, using the @kbd{C-x C-u} (@code{upcase-region}) command, | |
72 which operates on the text in the region. You can first go to the | |
73 beginning of the text to be capitalized, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} to put | |
74 the mark there, move to the end, and then type @kbd{C-x C-u}. Or, you | |
75 can set the mark at the end of the text, move to the beginning, and then | |
76 type @kbd{C-x C-u}. | |
77 | |
78 @kindex C-SPC | |
79 @findex set-mark-command | |
80 The most common way to set the mark is with the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} command | |
81 (@code{set-mark-command}). This sets the mark where point is. Then you | |
82 can move point away, leaving the mark behind. | |
83 | |
84 There are two ways to set the mark with the mouse. You can drag mouse | |
85 button one across a range of text; that puts point where you release the | |
86 mouse button, and sets the mark at the other end of that range. Or you | |
87 can click mouse button three, which sets the mark at point (like | |
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88 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}) and then moves point where you clicked (like |
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89 @kbd{Mouse-1}). Both of these methods copy the region into the kill |
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90 ring in addition to setting the mark; that gives behavior consistent |
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91 with other window-driven applications, but if you don't want to modify |
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92 the kill ring, you must use keyboard commands to set the mark. |
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93 @xref{Mouse Commands}. |
25829 | 94 |
95 @kindex C-x C-x | |
96 @findex exchange-point-and-mark | |
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97 When Emacs was developed, terminals had only one cursor, so Emacs |
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98 does not show where the mark is located--you have to remember. If you |
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99 enable Transient Mark mode (see below), then the region is highlighted |
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100 when it is active; you can tell mark is at the other end of the |
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101 highlighted region. But this only applies when the mark is active. |
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102 |
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103 The usual solution to this problem is to set the mark and then use |
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104 it soon, before you forget where it is. Alternatively, you can see |
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105 where the mark is with the command @kbd{C-x C-x} |
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106 (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}) which puts the mark where point was |
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107 and point where the mark was. The extent of the region is unchanged, |
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108 but the cursor and point are now at the previous position of the mark. |
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109 In Transient Mark mode, this command also reactivates the mark. |
25829 | 110 |
111 @kbd{C-x C-x} is also useful when you are satisfied with the position | |
112 of point but want to move the other end of the region (where the mark | |
113 is); do @kbd{C-x C-x} to put point at that end of the region, and then | |
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114 move it. Using @kbd{C-x C-x} a second time, if necessary, puts the mark at |
25829 | 115 the new position with point back at its original position. |
116 | |
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117 For more facilities that allow you to go to previously set marks, see |
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118 @ref{Mark Ring}. |
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119 |
25829 | 120 @kindex C-@@ |
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121 There is no such character as @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} in @acronym{ASCII}; |
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122 when you type @key{SPC} while holding down @key{CTRL} on a text |
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123 terminal, what you get is the character @kbd{C-@@}. This key is also |
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124 bound to @code{set-mark-command}--so unless you are unlucky enough to |
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125 have a text terminal where typing @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} does not produce |
25829 | 126 @kbd{C-@@}, you might as well think of this character as |
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127 @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}. |
25829 | 128 |
129 @node Transient Mark | |
130 @section Transient Mark Mode | |
131 @cindex mode, Transient Mark | |
132 @cindex Transient Mark mode | |
133 @cindex highlighting region | |
134 @cindex region highlighting | |
135 | |
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136 On a terminal that supports colors, Emacs has the ability to |
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137 highlight the current region. But normally it does not. Why not? |
25829 | 138 |
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139 Once you have set the mark in a buffer, there is @emph{always} a |
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140 region in that buffer. This is because every command that sets the |
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141 mark also activates it, and nothing ever deactivates it. Highlighting |
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142 the region all the time would be a nuisance. So normally Emacs |
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143 highlights the region only immediately after you have selected one |
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144 with the mouse. |
25829 | 145 |
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146 If you want region highlighting, you can use Transient Mark mode. |
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147 This is a more rigid mode of operation in which the region always |
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148 ``lasts'' only until you use it; you explicitly must set up a region |
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149 for each command that uses one. In Transient Mark mode, most of the |
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150 time there is no region; therefore, highlighting the region when it |
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151 exists is useful and not annoying. When Transient Mark mode is |
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152 enabled, Emacs always highlights the region whenever there is a |
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153 region. |
25829 | 154 |
155 @findex transient-mark-mode | |
156 To enable Transient Mark mode, type @kbd{M-x transient-mark-mode}. | |
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157 This command toggles the mode; you can use the same command to turn |
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158 the mode off again. |
25829 | 159 |
160 Here are the details of Transient Mark mode: | |
161 | |
162 @itemize @bullet | |
163 @item | |
164 To set the mark, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} (@code{set-mark-command}). | |
38786 | 165 This makes the mark active and thus begins highlighting of the region. |
166 As you move point, you will see the highlighted region grow and | |
167 shrink. | |
25829 | 168 |
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169 @item |
25829 | 170 The mouse commands for specifying the mark also make it active. So do |
171 keyboard commands whose purpose is to specify a region, including | |
172 @kbd{M-@@}, @kbd{C-M-@@}, @kbd{M-h}, @kbd{C-M-h}, @kbd{C-x C-p}, and | |
173 @kbd{C-x h}. | |
174 | |
175 @item | |
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176 You can tell that the mark is active because the region is highlighted. |
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177 |
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178 @item |
25829 | 179 When the mark is active, you can execute commands that operate on the |
180 region, such as killing, indenting, or writing to a file. | |
181 | |
182 @item | |
183 Any change to the buffer, such as inserting or deleting a character, | |
184 deactivates the mark. This means any subsequent command that operates | |
185 on a region will get an error and refuse to operate. You can make the | |
186 region active again by typing @kbd{C-x C-x}. | |
187 | |
188 @item | |
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189 If Delete Selection mode is also enabled, some commands delete the |
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190 region when used while the mark is active. @xref{Graphical Kill}. |
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191 |
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192 @item |
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193 Quitting with @kbd{C-g} deactivates the mark. |
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194 |
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195 @item |
38786 | 196 Commands like @kbd{M->} and @kbd{C-s}, that ``leave the mark behind'' in |
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197 addition to some other primary purpose, do not activate the new mark. |
25829 | 198 You can activate the new region by executing @kbd{C-x C-x} |
199 (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}). | |
200 | |
201 @item | |
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202 Commands that normally set the mark before moving long distances (like |
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203 @kbd{M-<} and @kbd{C-s}) do not alter the mark in Transient Mark mode |
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204 when the mark is active. |
25829 | 205 |
206 @item | |
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207 Some commands operate on the region if a region is active. For |
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208 instance, @kbd{C-x u} in Transient Mark mode operates on the region, |
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209 when there is a region. (Outside Transient Mark mode, you must type |
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210 @kbd{C-u C-x u} if you want it to operate on the region.) |
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211 @xref{Undo}. Other commands that act this way are identified in their |
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212 own documentation. |
25829 | 213 @end itemize |
214 | |
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215 The highlighting of the region uses the @code{region} face; you can |
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216 customize the appearance of the highlighted region by changing this |
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217 face. @xref{Face Customization}. |
25829 | 218 |
219 @vindex highlight-nonselected-windows | |
220 When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different | |
221 regions, because they can have different values of point (though they | |
222 all share one common mark position). Ordinarily, only the selected | |
223 window highlights its region (@pxref{Windows}). However, if the | |
224 variable @code{highlight-nonselected-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then | |
225 each window highlights its own region (provided that Transient Mark mode | |
38786 | 226 is enabled and the mark in the window's buffer is active). |
25829 | 227 |
228 @vindex mark-even-if-inactive | |
229 If the variable @code{mark-even-if-inactive} is non-@code{nil} in | |
230 Transient Mark mode, then commands can use the mark and the region | |
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231 even when it is inactive. Region highlighting appears and disappears |
25829 | 232 just as it normally does in Transient Mark mode, but the mark doesn't |
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233 really go away when the highlighting disappears, so you can still use |
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234 region commands. |
25829 | 235 |
236 @cindex Zmacs mode | |
237 Transient Mark mode is also sometimes known as ``Zmacs mode'' | |
238 because the Zmacs editor on the MIT Lisp Machine handled the mark in a | |
239 similar way. | |
240 | |
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241 @node Momentary Mark |
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242 @section Using Transient Mark Mode Momentarily |
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243 |
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244 If you don't like Transient Mark mode in general, you might still |
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245 want to use it once in a while. To do this, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC} |
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246 C-@key{SPC}} or @kbd{C-u C-x C-x}. These commands set or activate the |
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247 mark, and enable Transient Mark mode only until the mark is |
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248 deactivated. |
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249 |
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250 @table @kbd |
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251 @item C-@key{SPC} C-@key{SPC} |
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252 @kindex C-@key{SPC} C-@key{SPC} |
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253 Set the mark at point (like plain @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}), and enable |
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254 Transient Mark mode just once until the mark is deactivated. (This is |
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255 not really a separate command; you are using the @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} |
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256 command twice.) |
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257 |
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258 @item C-u C-x C-x |
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259 @kindex C-u C-x C-x |
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260 Activate the mark without changing it; enable Transient Mark mode just |
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261 once, until the mark is deactivated. (This is the @kbd{C-x C-x} |
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262 command, @code{exchange-point-and-mark}, with a prefix argument.) |
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263 @end table |
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264 |
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265 One of the secondary features of Transient Mark mode is that certain |
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266 commands operate only on the region, when there is an active region. |
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267 If you don't use Transient Mark mode, the region once set never |
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268 becomes inactive, so there is no way for these commands to make such a |
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269 distinction. Enabling Transient Mark mode momentarily gives you a way |
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270 to use these commands on the region. |
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271 |
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272 Momentary use of Transient Mark mode is also a way to highlight the |
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273 region for the time being. |
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274 |
25829 | 275 @node Using Region |
276 @section Operating on the Region | |
277 | |
278 @cindex operations on a marked region | |
279 Once you have a region and the mark is active, here are some of the | |
280 ways you can operate on the region: | |
281 | |
282 @itemize @bullet | |
283 @item | |
284 Kill it with @kbd{C-w} (@pxref{Killing}). | |
285 @item | |
286 Save it in a register with @kbd{C-x r s} (@pxref{Registers}). | |
287 @item | |
288 Save it in a buffer or a file (@pxref{Accumulating Text}). | |
289 @item | |
290 Convert case with @kbd{C-x C-l} or @kbd{C-x C-u} (@pxref{Case}). | |
291 @item | |
292 Indent it with @kbd{C-x @key{TAB}} or @kbd{C-M-\} (@pxref{Indentation}). | |
293 @item | |
294 Fill it as text with @kbd{M-x fill-region} (@pxref{Filling}). | |
295 @item | |
296 Print hardcopy with @kbd{M-x print-region} (@pxref{Hardcopy}). | |
297 @item | |
298 Evaluate it as Lisp code with @kbd{M-x eval-region} (@pxref{Lisp Eval}). | |
299 @end itemize | |
300 | |
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301 Most commands that operate on the text in the region have the word |
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302 @code{region} in their names. |
25829 | 303 |
304 @node Marking Objects | |
305 @section Commands to Mark Textual Objects | |
306 | |
307 @cindex marking sections of text | |
308 Here are the commands for placing point and the mark around a textual | |
309 object such as a word, list, paragraph or page. | |
310 | |
311 @table @kbd | |
312 @item M-@@ | |
38786 | 313 Set mark after end of next word (@code{mark-word}). This command and |
25829 | 314 the following one do not move point. |
315 @item C-M-@@ | |
38786 | 316 Set mark after end of following balanced expression (@code{mark-sexp}). |
25829 | 317 @item M-h |
38786 | 318 Put region around current paragraph (@code{mark-paragraph}). |
25829 | 319 @item C-M-h |
38786 | 320 Put region around current defun (@code{mark-defun}). |
25829 | 321 @item C-x h |
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322 Put region around the entire buffer (@code{mark-whole-buffer}). |
25829 | 323 @item C-x C-p |
38786 | 324 Put region around current page (@code{mark-page}). |
25829 | 325 @end table |
326 | |
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327 @kbd{M-@@} (@code{mark-word}) puts the mark at the end of the next |
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328 word, while @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}) puts it at the end of the |
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329 next balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}). These commands handle |
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330 arguments just like @kbd{M-f} and @kbd{C-M-f}. If you repeat these |
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331 commands, that extends the region. For example, you can type either |
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332 @kbd{C-u 2 M-@@} or @kbd{M-@@ M-@@} to mark the next two words. This |
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333 command also extends the region when the mark is active in Transient |
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334 Mark mode, regardless of the last command. |
25829 | 335 |
336 @kindex C-x h | |
337 @findex mark-whole-buffer | |
338 Other commands set both point and mark, to delimit an object in the | |
339 buffer. For example, @kbd{M-h} (@code{mark-paragraph}) moves point to | |
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340 the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and |
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341 puts the mark at the end of that paragraph (@pxref{Paragraphs}). It |
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342 prepares the region so you can indent, case-convert, or kill a whole |
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343 paragraph. With prefix argument, if the argument's value is positive, |
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344 @kbd{M-h} marks that many paragraphs starting with the one surrounding |
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345 point. If the prefix argument is @minus{}@var{n}, @kbd{M-h} also |
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346 marks @var{n} paragraphs, running back form the one surrounding point. |
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347 In that last case, point moves forward to the end of that paragraph, |
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348 and the mark goes at the start of the region. Repeating the @kbd{M-h} |
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349 command extends the region, just as with @kbd{M-@@} and @kbd{C-M-@@}. |
25829 | 350 |
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351 @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun}) similarly puts point before, and the |
38786 | 352 mark after, the current (or following) major top-level definition, or |
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353 defun (@pxref{Moving by Defuns}). Repeating @kbd{C-M-h} also extends |
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354 the region. |
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355 |
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356 @kbd{C-x C-p} (@code{mark-page}) puts point before the current page, |
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357 and mark at the end (@pxref{Pages}). The mark goes after the |
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358 terminating page delimiter (to include it in the region), while point |
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359 goes after the preceding page delimiter (to exclude it). A numeric |
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360 argument specifies a later page (if positive) or an earlier page (if |
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361 negative) instead of the current page. |
25829 | 362 |
363 Finally, @kbd{C-x h} (@code{mark-whole-buffer}) sets up the entire | |
364 buffer as the region, by putting point at the beginning and the mark at | |
365 the end. | |
366 | |
367 In Transient Mark mode, all of these commands activate the mark. | |
368 | |
369 @node Mark Ring | |
370 @section The Mark Ring | |
371 | |
372 @kindex C-u C-SPC | |
373 @cindex mark ring | |
374 @kindex C-u C-@@ | |
375 Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for | |
376 remembering a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this | |
377 feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the | |
378 mark, in the @dfn{mark ring}. Commands that set the mark also push the | |
379 old mark onto this ring. To return to a marked location, use @kbd{C-u | |
38490 | 380 C-@key{SPC}} (or @kbd{C-u C-@@}); this is the command |
25829 | 381 @code{set-mark-command} given a numeric argument. It moves point to |
382 where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former | |
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383 marks. |
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384 |
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385 If you repeat the character @kbd{C-@key{SPC}}, after typing @kbd{C-u |
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386 C-@key{SPC}}, each repetition moves point to a previous mark position |
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387 from the ring. The mark positions you move through in this way are |
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388 not lost; they go to the end of the ring. |
25829 | 389 |
390 Each buffer has its own mark ring. All editing commands use the current | |
391 buffer's mark ring. In particular, @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} always stays in | |
392 the same buffer. | |
393 | |
394 Many commands that can move long distances, such as @kbd{M-<} | |
395 (@code{beginning-of-buffer}), start by setting the mark and saving the | |
396 old mark on the mark ring. This is to make it easier for you to move | |
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397 back later. Searches set the mark if they move point. However, in |
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398 Transient Mark mode, these commands do not set the mark when the mark |
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399 is already active. You can tell when a command sets the mark because |
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400 it displays @samp{Mark set} in the echo area. |
25829 | 401 |
402 If you want to move back to the same place over and over, the mark | |
403 ring may not be convenient enough. If so, you can record the position | |
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404 in a register for later retrieval (@pxref{RegPos,, Saving Positions in |
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405 Registers}). |
25829 | 406 |
407 @vindex mark-ring-max | |
408 The variable @code{mark-ring-max} specifies the maximum number of | |
409 entries to keep in the mark ring. If that many entries exist and | |
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410 another one is pushed, the earliest one in the list is discarded. Repeating |
25829 | 411 @kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} cycles through the positions currently in the |
412 ring. | |
413 | |
414 @vindex mark-ring | |
415 The variable @code{mark-ring} holds the mark ring itself, as a list of | |
416 marker objects, with the most recent first. This variable is local in | |
417 every buffer. | |
418 | |
419 @node Global Mark Ring | |
420 @section The Global Mark Ring | |
421 @cindex global mark ring | |
422 | |
423 In addition to the ordinary mark ring that belongs to each buffer, | |
424 Emacs has a single @dfn{global mark ring}. It records a sequence of | |
425 buffers in which you have recently set the mark, so you can go back | |
426 to those buffers. | |
427 | |
428 Setting the mark always makes an entry on the current buffer's mark | |
429 ring. If you have switched buffers since the previous mark setting, the | |
430 new mark position makes an entry on the global mark ring also. The | |
431 result is that the global mark ring records a sequence of buffers that | |
432 you have been in, and, for each buffer, a place where you set the mark. | |
433 | |
434 @kindex C-x C-@key{SPC} | |
435 @findex pop-global-mark | |
436 The command @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} (@code{pop-global-mark}) jumps to | |
437 the buffer and position of the latest entry in the global ring. It also | |
438 rotates the ring, so that successive uses of @kbd{C-x C-@key{SPC}} take | |
439 you to earlier and earlier buffers. | |
440 | |
52401 | 441 @ignore |
442 arch-tag: f35e4d82-911b-4cfc-a3d7-3c87b2abba20 | |
443 @end ignore |