# HG changeset patch # User Richard M. Stallman # Date 1138553607 0 # Node ID 132c4fb111bca5107ac4ee6f609100fd61a7d8dd # Parent 72d32b7559c2a55c58789f690c9194982cf23f91 Minor cleanups. Refer to "graphical" terminals, rather than X. diff -r 72d32b7559c2 -r 132c4fb111bc man/commands.texi --- a/man/commands.texi Sun Jan 29 16:52:02 2006 +0000 +++ b/man/commands.texi Sun Jan 29 16:53:27 2006 +0000 @@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ have special keys you can type them with: for example, @key{RET}, @key{TAB}, @key{DEL} and @key{ESC}. The space character is usually referred to below as @key{SPC}, even though strictly speaking it is a -graphic character whose graphic happens to be blank. Some keyboards -have a key labeled ``linefeed'' which is an alias for @kbd{C-j}. +graphic character whose graphic happens to be blank. Emacs extends the @acronym{ASCII} character set with thousands more printing characters (@pxref{International}), additional control characters, and a @@ -54,31 +53,28 @@ But the Emacs character set has room for control variants of all printing characters, and for distinguishing between @kbd{C-a} and -@kbd{C-A}. The X Window System makes it possible to enter all these -characters. For example, @kbd{C--} (that's Control-Minus) and @kbd{C-5} -are meaningful Emacs commands under X. +@kbd{C-A}. Graphical terminals make it possible to enter all these +characters. For example, @kbd{C--} (that's Control-Minus) and +@kbd{C-5} are meaningful Emacs commands on a graphical terminal. Another Emacs character-set extension is additional modifier bits. Only one modifier bit is commonly used; it is called Meta. Every character has a Meta variant; examples include @kbd{Meta-a} (normally -written @kbd{M-a}, for short), @kbd{M-A} (not the same character as -@kbd{M-a}, but those two characters normally have the same meaning in -Emacs), @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, and @kbd{M-C-a}. For reasons of tradition, -we usually write @kbd{C-M-a} rather than @kbd{M-C-a}; logically -speaking, the order in which the modifier keys @key{CTRL} and @key{META} -are mentioned does not matter. +written @kbd{M-a}, for short), @kbd{M-A} (different from @kbd{M-a}, +but they are normally equivalent in Emacs), @kbd{M-@key{RET}}, and +@kbd{M-C-a}. That last means @kbd{a} with both the @key{CTRL} and +@key{META} modifiers. We usually write it as @kbd{C-M-a} rather than +@kbd{M-C-a}, for reasons of tradition. @cindex Meta @cindex M- @cindex @key{ESC} replacing @key{META} key Some terminals have a @key{META} key, and allow you to type Meta -characters by holding this key down. Thus, @kbd{Meta-a} is typed by -holding down @key{META} and pressing @kbd{a}. The @key{META} key -works much like the @key{SHIFT} key. Such a key is not always labeled -@key{META}, however, as this function is often a special option for a -key with some other primary purpose. Sometimes it is labeled -@key{ALT} or @key{EDIT}; on a Sun keyboard, it may have a diamond on -it. +characters by holding this key down. Thus, you can type @kbd{Meta-a} +by holding down @key{META} and pressing @kbd{a}. The @key{META} key +works much like the @key{SHIFT} key. In fact, this key is more often +labeled @key{ALT} or @key{EDIT}, instead of @key{META}; on a Sun +keyboard, it may have a diamond on it. If there is no @key{META} key, you can still type Meta characters using two-character sequences starting with @key{ESC}. Thus, you can @@ -90,16 +86,16 @@ @key{ESC} is allowed on terminals with @key{META} keys, too, in case you have formed a habit of using it. - The X Window System provides several other modifier keys that can be -applied to any input character. These are called @key{SUPER}, -@key{HYPER} and @key{ALT}. We write @samp{s-}, @samp{H-} and @samp{A-} -to say that a character uses these modifiers. Thus, @kbd{s-H-C-x} is -short for @kbd{Super-Hyper-Control-x}. Not all X terminals actually + Emacs defines several other modifier keys that can be applied to any +input character. These are called @key{SUPER}, @key{HYPER} and +@key{ALT}. We write @samp{s-}, @samp{H-} and @samp{A-} to say that a +character uses these modifiers. Thus, @kbd{s-H-C-x} is short for +@kbd{Super-Hyper-Control-x}. Not all graphical terminals actually provide keys for these modifier flags---in fact, many terminals have a key labeled @key{ALT} which is really a @key{META} key. The standard key bindings of Emacs do not include any characters with these -modifiers. But you can assign them meanings of your own by customizing -Emacs. +modifiers. But you can assign them meanings of your own by +customizing Emacs. If your keyboard lacks one of these modifier keys, you can enter it using @kbd{C-x @@}: @kbd{C-x @@ h} adds the ``hyper'' flag to the next @@ -109,18 +105,18 @@ two modifiers by using @kbd{C-x @@} twice for the same character, because the first one goes to work on the @kbd{C-x}.) - Keyboard input includes keyboard keys that are not characters at all: -for example function keys and arrow keys. Mouse buttons are also -outside the gamut of characters. You can modify these events with the -modifier keys @key{CTRL}, @key{META}, @key{SUPER}, @key{HYPER} and -@key{ALT}, just like keyboard characters. + Keyboard input includes keyboard keys that are not characters at +all: for example function keys and arrow keys. Mouse buttons are also +outside the gamut of characters. However, you can modify these events +with the modifier keys @key{CTRL}, @key{META}, @key{SUPER}, +@key{HYPER} and @key{ALT}, just as you can modify keyboard characters. @cindex input event Input characters and non-character inputs are collectively called @dfn{input events}. @xref{Input Events,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp -Reference Manual}, for more information. If you are not doing Lisp -programming, but simply want to redefine the meaning of some characters -or non-character events, see @ref{Customization}. +Reference Manual}, for the full Lisp-level details. If you are not +doing Lisp programming, but simply want to redefine the meaning of +some characters or non-character events, see @ref{Customization}. @acronym{ASCII} terminals cannot really send anything to the computer except @acronym{ASCII} characters. These terminals use a sequence of characters to @@ -170,12 +166,12 @@ All told, the prefix keys in Emacs are @kbd{C-c}, @kbd{C-h}, @kbd{C-x}, @kbd{C-x @key{RET}}, @kbd{C-x @@}, @kbd{C-x a}, @kbd{C-x -n}, @w{@kbd{C-x r}}, @kbd{C-x v}, @kbd{C-x 4}, @kbd{C-x 5}, @kbd{C-x 6}, -@key{ESC}, @kbd{M-o} and @kbd{M-g}. (@key{F1} and @key{F2} are aliases for -@kbd{C-h} and @kbd{C-x 6}.) But this list is not cast in concrete; it -is just a matter of Emacs's standard key bindings. If you customize -Emacs, you can make new prefix keys, or eliminate these. @xref{Key -Bindings}. +n}, @w{@kbd{C-x r}}, @kbd{C-x v}, @kbd{C-x 4}, @kbd{C-x 5}, @kbd{C-x +6}, @key{ESC}, @kbd{M-g}, and @kbd{M-o}. (@key{F1} and @key{F2} are +aliases for @kbd{C-h} and @kbd{C-x 6}.) But this list is not cast in +concrete; it is just a matter of Emacs's standard key bindings. If +you customize Emacs, you can make new prefix keys, or eliminate some +of the standard ones. @xref{Key Bindings}. If you do make or eliminate prefix keys, that changes the set of possible key sequences. For example, if you redefine @kbd{C-f} as a @@ -184,12 +180,11 @@ definition of @kbd{C-x 4}, then @kbd{C-x 4 f} (or @kbd{C-x 4 @var{anything}}) is no longer a key. - Typing the help character (@kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}) after a prefix -key displays a list of the commands starting with that prefix. -There are a few prefix keys for which @kbd{C-h} does not -work---for historical reasons, they have other meanings for @kbd{C-h} -which are not easy to change. But @key{F1} should work for all prefix -keys. + Typing the help character (@kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}) after a prefix key +displays a list of the commands starting with that prefix. There are +a few prefix keys for which @kbd{C-h} does not work---for historical +reasons, they define other meanings for @kbd{C-h} which are painful to +change. But @key{F1} should work for all prefix keys. @node Commands, Text Characters, Keys, Top @section Keys and Commands