# HG changeset patch
# User Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
# Date 1225296042 0
# Node ID 02d6a98205f0ba29da7f38013fdcb659a57d090f
# Parent  3a217e6ccfccefdf97567f98a3ff9c8c9810a59d
(Using Region): Document use-empty-active-region.

diff -r 3a217e6ccfcc -r 02d6a98205f0 doc/emacs/mark.texi
--- a/doc/emacs/mark.texi	Wed Oct 29 16:00:30 2008 +0000
+++ b/doc/emacs/mark.texi	Wed Oct 29 16:00:42 2008 +0000
@@ -225,6 +225,16 @@
   If Delete Selection mode is enabled, some commands delete the region
 when used while the mark is active.  @xref{Mouse Commands}.
 
+  Some commands have a default behavior when the region is inactive,
+but operate on the text in the region if the region is active.  For
+example, @kbd{M-$} (@code{ispell-word}) normally checks the spelling
+of the word at point, but it checks the text in the region if the
+region is active (@pxref{Spelling}).  Normally, such commands use
+their default behavior if the region is empty (i.e., if mark and point
+are at the same position).  If you want them to operate on the empty
+region, change the variable @code{use-empty-active-region} to
+@code{t}.
+
 @node Mark Ring
 @section The Mark Ring