view man/m-x.texi @ 26114:c19849fe02b5

Doc fix, duplex and setpagedevice configuration. (ps-print-version): New version number (4.2). (ps-spool-config, ps-spool-tumble): New vars. (ps-print-prologue-1): Changed to defconst, adjust PostScript programming, new PostScript procedure to handle errors. (ps-print-prologue-2): Changed to defconst. (ps-print-duplex-feature): New const: duplex and tumble setting. (ps-setup, ps-begin-file): Fix funs. (ps-boolean-capitalized): New fun. Doc fix, n-up printing. (ps-print-version): New version number (5.0). (ps-page-dimensions-database): Added document media. (ps-n-up-printing, ps-n-up-margin, ps-n-up-border-p, ps-n-up-filling) (ps-page-order, ps-printing-region-p): New vars. (ps-n-up-printing, ps-n-up-filling, ps-header-sheet, ps-end-job): New funs. (ps-page-dimensions-get-media, ps-n-up-landscape, ps-n-up-lines) (ps-n-up-columns, ps-n-up-missing, ps-n-up-xcolumn, ps-n-up-ycolumn) (ps-n-up-xline, ps-n-up-yline, ps-n-up-repeat, ps-n-up-end) (ps-n-up-xstart, ps-n-up-ystart): New macros. (ps-print-begin-sheet-hook): New hook. (ps-boundingbox-re, ps-n-up-database, ps-n-up-filling-database): New const. (ps-setup, ps-begin-file, ps-get-buffer-name, ps-begin-job) (ps-end-file, ps-dummy-page, ps-generate): Fix funs. (ps-print-prologue-1): Adjust PostScript programming for n-up printing. (ps-count-lines): Changed to defun. (ps-header-page): Changed to defsubst, fix fun. (ps-printing-region): Doc fix, adjust programming code. (ps-output-boolean, ps-background-pages, ps-background-text) (ps-background-image, ps-background, ps-get-boundingbox): Adjust programming code. Doc fix, better customization. (ps-print-region-function, ps-number-of-columns, ps-spool-tumble) (ps-print-color-p, ps-printing-region-p, ps-n-up-database) (ps-end-file): Doc fix. (ps-setup, ps-begin-file): Fun fix. (postscript): New group. (ps-zebra-gray, ps-banner-page-when-duplexing): New vars. (ps-print-prologue-1): Adjust PostScript programming. (ps-print): Adjust group hierarchy. (ps-print-n-up, ps-print-zebra, ps-print-background, ps-print-printer) (ps-print-page): New subgroups. (ps-print-prologue-header, ps-printer-name, ps-lpr-command) (ps-lpr-switches, ps-page-dimensions-database, ps-paper-type) (ps-landscape-mode, ps-print-control-characters, ps-n-up-printing) (ps-n-up-margin, ps-n-up-border-p, ps-n-up-filling, ps-zebra-stripes) (ps-zebra-stripe-height, ps-print-background-image) (ps-print-background-text, ps-spool-config): Adjust customization. (dos-ps-printer): Definition eliminated.

@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node M-x, Help, Minibuffer, Top
@chapter Running Commands by Name

  The Emacs commands that are used often or that must be quick to type are
bound to keys---short sequences of characters---for convenient use.  Other
Emacs commands that do not need to be brief are not bound to keys; to run
them, you must refer to them by name.

  A command name is, by convention, made up of one or more words,
separated by hyphens; for example, @code{auto-fill-mode} or
@code{manual-entry}.  The use of English words makes the command name
easier to remember than a key made up of obscure characters, even though
it is more characters to type.

@kindex M-x
  The way to run a command by name is to start with @kbd{M-x}, type the
command name, and finish it with @key{RET}.  @kbd{M-x} uses the
minibuffer to read the command name.  @key{RET} exits the minibuffer and
runs the command.  The string @samp{M-x} appears at the beginning of the
minibuffer as a @dfn{prompt} to remind you to enter the name of a
command to be run.  @xref{Minibuffer}, for full information on the
features of the minibuffer.

  You can use completion to enter the command name.  For example, the
command @code{forward-char} can be invoked by name by typing

@example
M-x forward-char @key{RET}
@end example

@noindent
or

@example
M-x forw @key{TAB} c @key{RET}
@end example

@noindent
Note that @code{forward-char} is the same command that you invoke with
the key @kbd{C-f}.  You can run any Emacs command by name using
@kbd{M-x}, whether or not any keys are bound to it.

  If you type @kbd{C-g} while the command name is being read, you cancel
the @kbd{M-x} command and get out of the minibuffer, ending up at top level.

  To pass a numeric argument to the command you are invoking with
@kbd{M-x}, specify the numeric argument before the @kbd{M-x}.  @kbd{M-x}
passes the argument along to the command it runs.  The argument value
appears in the prompt while the command name is being read.

@vindex suggest-key-bindings
  If the command you type has a key binding of its own, Emacs mentions
this in the echo area, two seconds after the command finishes (if you
don't type anything else first).  For example, if you type @kbd{M-x
forward-word}, the message says that you can run the same command more
easily by typing @kbd{M-f}.  You can turn off these messages by setting
@code{suggest-key-bindings} to @code{nil}.

  Normally, when describing in this manual a command that is run by
name, we omit the @key{RET} that is needed to terminate the name.  Thus
we might speak of @kbd{M-x auto-fill-mode} rather than @kbd{M-x
auto-fill-mode @key{RET}}.  We mention the @key{RET} only when there is
a need to emphasize its presence, such as when we show the command
together with following arguments.

@findex execute-extended-command
  @kbd{M-x} works by running the command
@code{execute-extended-command}, which is responsible for reading the
name of another command and invoking it.