comparison man/mark.texi @ 38461:23f63206a867

Proofreading fixes from Chris Green <[e-mail]>.

38460:6bee7ffac2cd

@kindex C-x C-x
@findex exchange-point-and-mark
  Ordinary terminals have only one cursor, so there is no way for Emacs
to show you where the mark is located.  You have to remember.  The usual
solution to this problem is to set the mark and then use it soon, before
you forget where it is.  Alternatively, you can see where the mark is
with the command @kbd{C-x C-x} (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}) which
puts the mark where point was and point where the mark was.  The extent
of the region is unchanged, but the cursor and point are now at the
previous position of the mark.  In Transient Mark mode, this command
reactivates the mark.

  @kbd{C-x C-x} is also useful when you are satisfied with the position
of point but want to move the other end of the region (where the mark
is); do @kbd{C-x C-x} to put point at that end of the region, and then
move it.  A second use of @kbd{C-x C-x}, if necessary, puts the mark at
the new position with point back at its original position.

  For more facilities that allow you to go to previously set marks, see
@ref{Mark Ring}.

  Here are the details of Transient Mark mode:

@itemize @bullet
@item
To set the mark, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} (@code{set-mark-command}).
This makes the mark active; as you move point, you will see the region
highlighting grow and shrink.

@item 
The mouse commands for specifying the mark also make it active.  So do
keyboard commands whose purpose is to specify a region, including
@kbd{M-@@}, @kbd{C-M-@@}, @kbd{M-h}, @kbd{C-M-h}, @kbd{C-x C-p}, and

deactivates the mark.  This means any subsequent command that operates
on a region will get an error and refuse to operate.  You can make the
region active again by typing @kbd{C-x C-x}.

@item
Commands like @kbd{M->} and @kbd{C-s} that ``leave the mark behind'' in
addition to some other primary purpose do not activate the new mark.
You can activate the new region by executing @kbd{C-x C-x}
(@code{exchange-point-and-mark}).

@item
@kbd{C-s} when the mark is active does not alter the mark.

@kbd{C-u C-x u} if you want it to operate on the region.
@xref{Undo}.   Other commands that act this way are identified
in their own documentation.
@end itemize

  Highlighting of the region uses the @code{region} face; you can
customize how the region is highlighted by changing this face.
@xref{Face Customization}.

@vindex highlight-nonselected-windows
  When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different
regions, because they can have different values of point (though they
all share one common mark position).  Ordinarily, only the selected
window highlights its region (@pxref{Windows}).  However, if the
variable @code{highlight-nonselected-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then
each window highlights its own region (provided that Transient Mark mode
is enabled and the window's buffer's mark is active).

  When Transient Mark mode is not enabled, every command that sets the
mark also activates it, and nothing ever deactivates it.

@vindex mark-even-if-inactive

Print hardcopy with @kbd{M-x print-region} (@pxref{Hardcopy}).
@item
Evaluate it as Lisp code with @kbd{M-x eval-region} (@pxref{Lisp Eval}).
@end itemize

  Most commands that operate on the text in the
region have the word @code{region} in their names.

@node Marking Objects
@section Commands to Mark Textual Objects

@cindex marking sections of text
  Here are the commands for placing point and the mark around a textual
object such as a word, list, paragraph or page.

@table @kbd
@item M-@@
Set mark after end of next word (@code{mark-word}).  This command and
the following one do not move point.
@item C-M-@@
Set mark after end of following balanced expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
@item M-h
Put region around current paragraph (@code{mark-paragraph}).
@item C-M-h
Put region around current defun (@code{mark-defun}).
@item C-x h
Put region around entire buffer (@code{mark-whole-buffer}).
@item C-x C-p
Put region around current page (@code{mark-page}).
@end table

@kbd{M-@@} (@code{mark-word}) puts the mark at the end of the next
word, while @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}) puts it at the end of the
next balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}).  These commands handle

buffer.  For example, @kbd{M-h} (@code{mark-paragraph}) moves point to
the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and puts
the mark at the end of that paragraph (@pxref{Paragraphs}).  It prepares
the region so you can indent, case-convert, or kill a whole paragraph.

  @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun}) similarly puts point before and the
mark after the current or following major top-level definition, or
defun (@pxref{Moving by Defuns}).  @kbd{C-x C-p} (@code{mark-page})
puts point before the current page, and mark at the end
(@pxref{Pages}).  The mark goes after the terminating page delimiter
(to include it), while point goes after the preceding page delimiter
(to exclude it).  A numeric argument specifies a later page (if

  Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for
remembering a spot that you may want to go back to.  To make this
feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the
mark, in the @dfn{mark ring}.  Commands that set the mark also push the
old mark onto this ring.  To return to a marked location, use @kbd{C-u
C-@key{SPC}} (or @kbd{C-u C-@@}); this is the command
@code{set-mark-command} given a numeric argument.  It moves point to
where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former
marks.  Thus, repeated use of this command moves point to all of the old
marks on the ring, one by one.  The mark positions you move through in
this way are not lost; they go to the end of the ring.

Registers}).

@vindex mark-ring-max
  The variable @code{mark-ring-max} specifies the maximum number of
entries to keep in the mark ring.  If that many entries exist and
another one is pushed, the last one in the list is discarded.  Repeating
@kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} cycles through the positions currently in the
ring.

@vindex mark-ring
  The variable @code{mark-ring} holds the mark ring itself, as a list of

38461:23f63206a867

@kindex C-x C-x
@findex exchange-point-and-mark
  Ordinary terminals have only one cursor, so there is no way for Emacs
to show you where the mark is located.  You have to remember.  The usual
solution to this problem is to set the mark and then use it before
you forget where it is.  Alternatively, you can see where the mark is
with the command @kbd{C-x C-x} (@code{exchange-point-and-mark}) which
puts the mark where point was and point where the mark was.  The extent
of the region is unchanged, but the cursor and point are now at the
previous position of the mark.  In Transient Mark mode, this command
reactivates the mark.

  @kbd{C-x C-x} is also useful when you are satisfied with the position
of point but want to move the other end of the region (where the mark
is); do @kbd{C-x C-x} to put point at that end of the region, and then
move it.  Using @kbd{C-x C-x} a second time, if necessary, puts the mark at
the new position with point back at its original position.

  For more facilities that allow you to go to previously set marks, see
@ref{Mark Ring}.

  Here are the details of Transient Mark mode:

@itemize @bullet
@item
To set the mark, type @kbd{C-@key{SPC}} (@code{set-mark-command}).
This makes the mark active; as you move point, you will see the
highlighted region grow and shrink.

@item 
The mouse commands for specifying the mark also make it active.  So do
keyboard commands whose purpose is to specify a region, including
@kbd{M-@@}, @kbd{C-M-@@}, @kbd{M-h}, @kbd{C-M-h}, @kbd{C-x C-p}, and

deactivates the mark.  This means any subsequent command that operates
on a region will get an error and refuse to operate.  You can make the
region active again by typing @kbd{C-x C-x}.

@item
Commands like @kbd{M->} and @kbd{C-s} that ``leave the mark behind'', in
addition to some other primary purpose, do not activate the new mark.
You can activate the new region by executing @kbd{C-x C-x}
(@code{exchange-point-and-mark}).

@item
@kbd{C-s} when the mark is active does not alter the mark.

@kbd{C-u C-x u} if you want it to operate on the region.
@xref{Undo}.   Other commands that act this way are identified
in their own documentation.
@end itemize

  The highlighting of the region uses the @code{region} face; you can
customize the appearance of the highlighted region by changing this
face.  @xref{Face Customization}.

@vindex highlight-nonselected-windows
  When multiple windows show the same buffer, they can have different
regions, because they can have different values of point (though they
all share one common mark position).  Ordinarily, only the selected
window highlights its region (@pxref{Windows}).  However, if the
variable @code{highlight-nonselected-windows} is non-@code{nil}, then
each window highlights its own region (provided that Transient Mark mode
is enabled and the mark in the buffer's window is active).

  When Transient Mark mode is not enabled, every command that sets the
mark also activates it, and nothing ever deactivates it.

@vindex mark-even-if-inactive

Print hardcopy with @kbd{M-x print-region} (@pxref{Hardcopy}).
@item
Evaluate it as Lisp code with @kbd{M-x eval-region} (@pxref{Lisp Eval}).
@end itemize

  Most commands that operate on text in the region have the word
@code{region} in their names.

@node Marking Objects
@section Commands to Mark Textual Objects

@cindex marking sections of text
  Here are the commands for placing point and the mark around a textual
object such as a word, list, paragraph or page.

@table @kbd
@item M-@@
Set mark after the end of next word (@code{mark-word}).  This command and
the following one do not move point.
@item C-M-@@
Set mark after the end of following balanced expression (@code{mark-sexp}).
@item M-h
Put region around the current paragraph (@code{mark-paragraph}).
@item C-M-h
Put region around the current defun (@code{mark-defun}).
@item C-x h
Put region around the entire buffer (@code{mark-whole-buffer}).
@item C-x C-p
Put region around the current page (@code{mark-page}).
@end table

@kbd{M-@@} (@code{mark-word}) puts the mark at the end of the next
word, while @kbd{C-M-@@} (@code{mark-sexp}) puts it at the end of the
next balanced expression (@pxref{Expressions}).  These commands handle

buffer.  For example, @kbd{M-h} (@code{mark-paragraph}) moves point to
the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and puts
the mark at the end of that paragraph (@pxref{Paragraphs}).  It prepares
the region so you can indent, case-convert, or kill a whole paragraph.

  @kbd{C-M-h} (@code{mark-defun}) similarly puts point before, and the
mark after, the current or following major top-level definition, or
defun (@pxref{Moving by Defuns}).  @kbd{C-x C-p} (@code{mark-page})
puts point before the current page, and mark at the end
(@pxref{Pages}).  The mark goes after the terminating page delimiter
(to include it), while point goes after the preceding page delimiter
(to exclude it).  A numeric argument specifies a later page (if

  Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for
remembering a spot that you may want to go back to.  To make this
feature more useful, each buffer remembers 16 previous locations of the
mark, in the @dfn{mark ring}.  Commands that set the mark also push the
old mark onto this ring.  To return to a marked location, use @kbd{C-u
C-@key{SPC}} (or @kbd{C-u C-@@}); this is the same as the command
@code{set-mark-command} given a numeric argument.  It moves point to
where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former
marks.  Thus, repeated use of this command moves point to all of the old
marks on the ring, one by one.  The mark positions you move through in
this way are not lost; they go to the end of the ring.

Registers}).

@vindex mark-ring-max
  The variable @code{mark-ring-max} specifies the maximum number of
entries to keep in the mark ring.  If that many entries exist and
another one is pushed, the earliest one in the list is discarded.  Repeating
@kbd{C-u C-@key{SPC}} cycles through the positions currently in the
ring.

@vindex mark-ring
  The variable @code{mark-ring} holds the mark ring itself, as a list of