Mercurial > emacs
changeset 84126:82a32509b785
Move to ../doc/emacs/, misc/
| author | Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org> |
|---|---|
| date | Thu, 06 Sep 2007 04:33:49 +0000 |
| parents | 456b356a5657 |
| children | 7217305d6e32 |
| files | man/basic.texi |
| diffstat | 1 files changed, 0 insertions(+), 776 deletions(-) [+] |
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--- a/man/basic.texi Thu Sep 06 04:33:44 2007 +0000 +++ /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 @@ -1,776 +0,0 @@ -@c This is part of the Emacs manual. -@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, -@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc. -@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. -@node Basic, Minibuffer, Exiting, Top -@chapter Basic Editing Commands - -@kindex C-h t -@findex help-with-tutorial - Here we explain the basics of how to enter text, make corrections, -and save the text in a file. If this material is new to you, we -suggest you first run the Emacs learn-by-doing tutorial, by typing -@kbd{Control-h t} inside Emacs. (@code{help-with-tutorial}). - - To clear and redisplay the screen, type @kbd{C-l} (@code{recenter}). - -@menu - -* Inserting Text:: Inserting text by simply typing it. -* Moving Point:: Moving the cursor to the place where you want to - change something. -* Erasing:: Deleting and killing text. -* Basic Undo:: Undoing recent changes in the text. -* Files: Basic Files. Visiting, creating, and saving files. -* Help: Basic Help. Asking what a character does. -* Blank Lines:: Making and deleting blank lines. -* Continuation Lines:: How Emacs displays lines too wide for the screen. -* Position Info:: What page, line, row, or column is point on? -* Arguments:: Numeric arguments for repeating a command N times. -* Repeating:: Repeating the previous command quickly. -@end menu - -@node Inserting Text -@section Inserting Text - -@cindex insertion -@cindex graphic characters - Typing printing characters inserts them into the text you are -editing. It inserts them into the buffer at the cursor; more -precisely, it inserts them at @dfn{point}, but the cursor normally -shows where point is. @xref{Point}. - - Insertion moves the cursor forward, and the following text moves -forward with the cursor. If the text in the buffer is @samp{FOOBAR}, -with the cursor before the @samp{B}, and you type @kbd{XX}, you get -@samp{FOOXXBAR}, with the cursor still before the @samp{B}. - - To @dfn{delete} text you have just inserted, use the large key -labeled @key{DEL}, @key{BACKSPACE} or @key{DELETE} which is a short -distance above the @key{RET} or @key{ENTER} key. Regardless of the -label on that key, Emacs thinks of it as @key{DEL}, and that's what we -call it in this manual. @key{DEL} is the key you normally use outside -Emacs to erase the last character that you typed. - - The @key{DEL} key deletes the character @emph{before} the cursor. -As a consequence, the cursor and all the characters after it move -backwards. If you type a printing character and then type @key{DEL}, -they cancel out. - - On most computers, Emacs sets up @key{DEL} automatically. In some -cases, especially with text-only terminals, Emacs may guess wrong. If -the key that ought to erase the last character doesn't do it in Emacs, -see @ref{DEL Does Not Delete}. - - Most PC keyboards have both a @key{BACKSPACE} key a little ways -above @key{RET} or @key{ENTER}, and a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere. On -these keyboards, Emacs tries to set up @key{BACKSPACE} as @key{DEL}. -The @key{DELETE} key deletes ``forwards'' like @kbd{C-d} (see below), -which means it deletes the character underneath the cursor (after -point). - -@kindex RET -@cindex newline - To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}. (This -key may be labeled @key{RETURN} or @key{ENTER}, but in Emacs we call -it @key{RET}.) This inserts a newline character in the buffer. If -point is at the end of the line, this creates a new blank line after -it. If point is in the middle of a line, the effect is to split that -line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is at the beginning of a line -deletes the preceding newline character, thus joining the line with -the one before it. - - Emacs can split lines automatically when they become too long, if -you turn on a special minor mode called @dfn{Auto Fill} mode. -@xref{Filling}, for Auto Fill mode and other methods of @dfn{filling} -text. - - If you prefer printing characters to replace (overwrite) existing -text, rather than shove it to the right, you should enable Overwrite -mode, a minor mode. @xref{Minor Modes}. - -@cindex quoting -@kindex C-q -@findex quoted-insert - Only printing characters and @key{SPC} insert themselves in Emacs. -Other characters act as editing commands and do not insert themselves. -These include control characters, and characters with codes above 200 -octal. If you need to insert one of these characters in the buffer, -you must @dfn{quote} it by typing the character @kbd{Control-q} -(@code{quoted-insert}) first. (This character's name is normally -written @kbd{C-q} for short.) There are two ways to use -@kbd{C-q}: - -@itemize @bullet -@item -@kbd{C-q} followed by any non-graphic character (even @kbd{C-g}) -inserts that character. - -@item -@kbd{C-q} followed by a sequence of octal digits inserts the character -with the specified octal character code. You can use any number of -octal digits; any non-digit terminates the sequence. If the -terminating character is @key{RET}, it serves only to terminate the -sequence. Any other non-digit terminates the sequence and then acts -as normal input---thus, @kbd{C-q 1 0 1 B} inserts @samp{AB}. - -The use of octal sequences is disabled in ordinary non-binary -Overwrite mode, to give you a convenient way to insert a digit instead -of overwriting with it. -@end itemize - -@cindex 8-bit character codes -@noindent -When multibyte characters are enabled, if you specify a code in the -range 0200 through 0377 octal, @kbd{C-q} assumes that you intend to -use some ISO 8859-@var{n} character set, and converts the specified -code to the corresponding Emacs character code. @xref{Enabling -Multibyte}. You select @emph{which} of the ISO 8859 character sets to -use through your choice of language environment (@pxref{Language -Environments}). - -@vindex read-quoted-char-radix -To use decimal or hexadecimal instead of octal, set the variable -@code{read-quoted-char-radix} to 10 or 16. If the radix is greater than -10, some letters starting with @kbd{a} serve as part of a character -code, just like digits. - -A numeric argument tells @kbd{C-q} how many copies of the quoted -character to insert (@pxref{Arguments}). - -@findex newline -@findex self-insert - Customization information: @key{DEL} in most modes runs the command -@code{delete-backward-char}; @key{RET} runs the command -@code{newline}, and self-inserting printing characters run the command -@code{self-insert}, which inserts whatever character you typed. Some -major modes rebind @key{DEL} to other commands. - -@node Moving Point -@section Changing the Location of Point - -@cindex arrow keys -@cindex moving point -@cindex movement -@cindex cursor motion -@cindex moving the cursor - To do more than insert characters, you have to know how to move point -(@pxref{Point}). The simplest way to do this is with arrow keys, or by -clicking the left mouse button where you want to move to. - - There are also control and meta characters for cursor motion. Some -are equivalent to the arrow keys (it is faster to use these control -keys than move your hand over to the arrow keys). Others do more -sophisticated things. - -@kindex C-a -@kindex C-e -@kindex C-f -@kindex C-b -@kindex C-n -@kindex C-p -@kindex M-> -@kindex M-< -@kindex M-r -@kindex LEFT -@kindex RIGHT -@kindex UP -@kindex DOWN -@findex move-beginning-of-line -@findex move-end-of-line -@findex forward-char -@findex backward-char -@findex next-line -@findex previous-line -@findex beginning-of-buffer -@findex end-of-buffer -@findex goto-char -@findex goto-line -@findex move-to-window-line -@table @kbd -@item C-a -Move to the beginning of the line (@code{move-beginning-of-line}). -@item C-e -Move to the end of the line (@code{move-end-of-line}). -@item C-f -Move forward one character (@code{forward-char}). The right-arrow key -does the same thing. -@item C-b -Move backward one character (@code{backward-char}). The left-arrow -key has the same effect. -@item M-f -Move forward one word (@code{forward-word}). -@item M-b -Move backward one word (@code{backward-word}). -@item C-n -Move down one line vertically (@code{next-line}). This command -attempts to keep the horizontal position unchanged, so if you start in -the middle of one line, you move to the middle of the next. The -down-arrow key does the same thing. -@item C-p -Move up one line, vertically (@code{previous-line}). The up-arrow key -has the same effect. This command preserves position within the line, -like @kbd{C-n}. -@item M-r -Move point to left margin, vertically centered in the window -(@code{move-to-window-line}). Text does not move on the screen. -A numeric argument says which screen line to place point on, counting -downward from the top of the window (zero means the top line). A -negative argument counts lines up from the bottom (@minus{}1 means the -bottom line). -@item M-< -Move to the top of the buffer (@code{beginning-of-buffer}). With -numeric argument @var{n}, move to @var{n}/10 of the way from the top. -@xref{Arguments}, for more information on numeric arguments.@refill -@item M-> -Move to the end of the buffer (@code{end-of-buffer}). -@item C-v -@itemx @key{PAGEDOWN} -@itemx @key{PRIOR} -Scroll the display one screen forward, and move point if necessary to -put it on the screen (@code{scroll-up}). This doesn't always move -point, but it is commonly used to do so. If your keyboard has a -@key{PAGEDOWN} or @key{PRIOR} key, it does the same thing. - -Scrolling commands are described further in @ref{Scrolling}. -@item M-v -@itemx @key{PAGEUP} -@itemx @key{NEXT} -Scroll one screen backward, and move point if necessary to put it on -the screen (@code{scroll-down}). This doesn't always move point, but -it is commonly used to do so. If your keyboard has a @key{PAGEUP} or -@key{NEXT} key, it does the same thing. -@item M-x goto-char -Read a number @var{n} and move point to buffer position @var{n}. -Position 1 is the beginning of the buffer. -@item M-g M-g -@itemx M-g g -@itemx M-x goto-line -Read a number @var{n} and move point to the beginning of line number -@var{n}. Line 1 is the beginning of the buffer. If point is on or -just after a number in the buffer, and you type @key{RET} with the -minibuffer empty, that number is used for @var{n}. -@item C-x C-n -@findex set-goal-column -@kindex C-x C-n -Use the current column of point as the @dfn{semipermanent goal column} -for @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} (@code{set-goal-column}). When a -semipermanent goal column is in effect, those commands always try to -move to this column, or as close as possible to it, after moving -vertically. The goal column remains in effect until canceled. -@item C-u C-x C-n -Cancel the goal column. Henceforth, @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} try to -preserve the horizontal position, as usual. -@end table - -@vindex track-eol - If you set the variable @code{track-eol} to a non-@code{nil} value, -then @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}, when starting at the end of the line, move -to the end of another line. Normally, @code{track-eol} is @code{nil}. -@xref{Variables}, for how to set variables such as @code{track-eol}. - -@vindex next-line-add-newlines - @kbd{C-n} normally stops at the end of the buffer when you use it on -the last line of the buffer. However, if you set the variable -@code{next-line-add-newlines} to a non-@code{nil} value, @kbd{C-n} on -the last line of a buffer creates an additional line at the end and -moves down into it. - -@node Erasing -@section Erasing Text - -@table @kbd -@item @key{DEL} -Delete the character before point (@code{delete-backward-char}). -@item C-d -Delete the character after point (@code{delete-char}). -@item @key{DELETE} -@itemx @key{BACKSPACE} -One of these keys, whichever is the large key above the @key{RET} or -@key{ENTER} key, deletes the character before point---it is @key{DEL}. -If @key{BACKSPACE} is @key{DEL}, and your keyboard also has @key{DELETE}, -then @key{DELETE} deletes forwards, like @kbd{C-d}. -@item C-k -Kill to the end of the line (@code{kill-line}). -@item M-d -Kill forward to the end of the next word (@code{kill-word}). -@item M-@key{DEL} -Kill back to the beginning of the previous word -(@code{backward-kill-word}). -@end table - -@cindex killing characters and lines -@cindex deleting characters and lines -@cindex erasing characters and lines - You already know about the @key{DEL} key which deletes the character -before point (that is, before the cursor). Another key, @kbd{Control-d} -(@kbd{C-d} for short), deletes the character after point (that is, the -character that the cursor is on). This shifts the rest of the text on -the line to the left. If you type @kbd{C-d} at the end of a line, it -joins that line with the following line. - - To erase a larger amount of text, use the @kbd{C-k} key, which -erases (kills) a line at a time. If you type @kbd{C-k} at the -beginning or middle of a line, it kills all the text up to the end of -the line. If you type @kbd{C-k} at the end of a line, it joins that -line with the following line. - - @xref{Killing}, for more flexible ways of killing text. - -@node Basic Undo -@section Undoing Changes - - Emacs records a list of changes made in the buffer text, so you can -you can undo recent changes, as far as the records go. -Usually each editing command makes a separate entry in the undo -records, but sometimes an entry covers just part of a command, and -very simple commands may be grouped. - -@table @kbd -@item C-x u -Undo one entry of the undo records---usually, one command worth -(@code{undo}). -@item C-_ -@itemx C-/ -The same. -@end table - - The command @kbd{C-x u} (or @kbd{C-_} or @kbd{C-/}) is how you undo. -Normally this command undoes the last change, and moves point back to -where it was before the change. - - If you repeat @kbd{C-x u} (or its aliases), each repetition undoes -another, earlier change, back to the limit of the undo information -available. If all recorded changes have already been undone, the undo -command displays an error message and does nothing. - - The undo command applies only to changes in the buffer; you can't -use it to undo mere cursor motion. However, some cursor motion -commands set the mark, so if you use these commands from time to time, -you can move back to the neighborhoods you have moved through by -popping the mark ring (@pxref{Mark Ring}). - -@node Basic Files -@section Files - - Text that you insert in an Emacs buffer lasts only as long as the -Emacs session. To keep any text permanently you must put it in a -@dfn{file}. Files are named units of text which are stored by the -operating system for you to retrieve later by name. To use the -contents of a file in any way, you must specify the file name. That -includes editing the file with Emacs. - - Suppose there is a file named @file{test.emacs} in your home -directory. To begin editing this file in Emacs, type - -@example -C-x C-f test.emacs @key{RET} -@end example - -@noindent -Here the file name is given as an @dfn{argument} to the command @kbd{C-x -C-f} (@code{find-file}). That command uses the @dfn{minibuffer} to -read the argument, and you type @key{RET} to terminate the argument -(@pxref{Minibuffer}). - - Emacs obeys this command by @dfn{visiting} the file: it creates a -buffer, it copies the contents of the file into the buffer, and then -displays the buffer for editing. If you alter the text, you can -@dfn{save} the new text in the file by typing @kbd{C-x C-s} -(@code{save-buffer}). This copies the altered buffer contents back -into the file @file{test.emacs}, making them permanent. Until you -save, the changed text exists only inside Emacs, and the file -@file{test.emacs} is unaltered. - - To create a file, just visit it with @kbd{C-x C-f} as if it already -existed. This creates an empty buffer, in which you can insert the -text you want to put in the file. Emacs actually creates the file the -first time you save this buffer with @kbd{C-x C-s}. - - To learn more about using files in Emacs, see @ref{Files}. - -@node Basic Help -@section Help - -@cindex getting help with keys - If you forget what a key does, you can find out with the Help -character, which is @kbd{C-h} (or @key{F1}, which is an alias for -@kbd{C-h}). Type @kbd{C-h k} followed by the key of interest; for -example, @kbd{C-h k C-n} tells you what @kbd{C-n} does. @kbd{C-h} is -a prefix key; @kbd{C-h k} is just one of its subcommands (the command -@code{describe-key}). The other subcommands of @kbd{C-h} provide -different kinds of help. Type @kbd{C-h} twice to get a description of -all the help facilities. @xref{Help}. - -@node Blank Lines -@section Blank Lines - -@cindex inserting blank lines -@cindex deleting blank lines - Here are special commands and techniques for inserting and deleting -blank lines. - -@table @kbd -@item C-o -Insert one or more blank lines after the cursor (@code{open-line}). -@item C-x C-o -Delete all but one of many consecutive blank lines -(@code{delete-blank-lines}). -@end table - -@kindex C-o -@kindex C-x C-o -@cindex blank lines -@findex open-line -@findex delete-blank-lines - To insert a new line of text before an existing line, -type the new line of text, followed by @key{RET}. -However, it may be easier to see what you are doing if you first make a -blank line and then insert the desired text into it. This is easy to do -using the key @kbd{C-o} (@code{open-line}), which inserts a newline -after point but leaves point in front of the newline. After @kbd{C-o}, -type the text for the new line. @kbd{C-o F O O} has the same effect as -@w{@kbd{F O O @key{RET}}}, except for the final location of point. - - You can make several blank lines by typing @kbd{C-o} several times, or -by giving it a numeric argument specifying how many blank lines to make. -@xref{Arguments}, for how. If you have a fill prefix, the @kbd{C-o} -command inserts the fill prefix on the new line, if typed at the -beginning of a line. @xref{Fill Prefix}. - - The easy way to get rid of extra blank lines is with the command -@kbd{C-x C-o} (@code{delete-blank-lines}). @kbd{C-x C-o} in a run of -several blank lines deletes all but one of them. @kbd{C-x C-o} on a -lone blank line deletes that one. When point is on a nonblank line, -@kbd{C-x C-o} deletes all following blank lines (if any). - -@node Continuation Lines -@section Continuation Lines - -@cindex continuation line -@cindex wrapping -@cindex line wrapping -@cindex fringes, and continuation lines - When a text line is too long to fit in one screen line, Emacs -displays it on two or more screen lines. This is called -@dfn{continuation} or @dfn{line wrapping}. On graphical displays, -Emacs indicates line wrapping with small bent arrows in the left and -right window fringes. On text-only terminals, Emacs displays a -@samp{\} character at the right margin of a screen line if it is not -the last in its text line. This @samp{\} character says that the -following screen line is not really a new text line. - - When line wrapping occurs just before a character that is wider than one -column, some columns at the end of the previous screen line may be -``empty.'' In this case, Emacs displays additional @samp{\} -characters in the ``empty'' columns before the @samp{\} -character that indicates continuation. - - Continued lines can be difficult to read, since lines can break in -the middle of a word. If you prefer, you can make Emacs insert a -newline automatically when a line gets too long, by using Auto Fill -mode. Or enable Long Lines mode, which ensures that wrapping only -occurs between words. @xref{Filling}. - -@cindex truncation -@cindex line truncation, and fringes - Emacs can optionally @dfn{truncate} long lines---this means -displaying just one screen line worth, and the rest of the long line -does not appear at all. @samp{$} in the last column or a small -straight arrow in the window's right fringe indicates a truncated -line. - - @xref{Line Truncation}, for more about line truncation, -and other variables that control how text is displayed. - -@node Position Info -@section Cursor Position Information - - Here are commands to get information about the size and position of -parts of the buffer, and to count lines. - -@table @kbd -@item M-x what-page -Display the page number of point, and the line number within that page. -@item M-x what-line -Display the line number of point in the whole buffer. -@item M-x line-number-mode -@itemx M-x column-number-mode -Toggle automatic display of the current line number or column number. -@xref{Optional Mode Line}. -@item M-= -Display the number of lines in the current region (@code{count-lines-region}). -@xref{Mark}, for information about the region. -@item C-x = -Display the character code of character after point, character position of -point, and column of point (@code{what-cursor-position}). -@item M-x hl-line-mode -Enable or disable highlighting of the current line. @xref{Cursor -Display}. -@item M-x size-indication-mode -Toggle automatic display of the size of the buffer. -@xref{Optional Mode Line}. -@end table - -@findex what-page -@findex what-line -@cindex line number commands -@cindex location of point -@cindex cursor location -@cindex point location - @kbd{M-x what-line} displays the current line number -in the echo area. You can also see the current line number in the -mode line; see @ref{Mode Line}; but if you narrow the buffer, the -line number in the mode line is relative to the accessible portion -(@pxref{Narrowing}). By contrast, @code{what-line} shows both the -line number relative to the narrowed region and the line number -relative to the whole buffer. - - @kbd{M-x what-page} counts pages from the beginning of the file, and -counts lines within the page, showing both numbers in the echo area. -@xref{Pages}. - -@kindex M-= -@findex count-lines-region - Use @kbd{M-=} (@code{count-lines-region}) to displays the number of -lines in the region (@pxref{Mark}). @xref{Pages}, for the command -@kbd{C-x l} which counts the lines in the current page. - -@kindex C-x = -@findex what-cursor-position - The command @kbd{C-x =} (@code{what-cursor-position}) shows what -cursor's column position, and other information about point and the -character after it. It displays a line in the echo area that looks -like this: - -@smallexample -Char: c (99, #o143, #x63) point=28062 of 36168 (78%) column=53 -@end smallexample - - The four values after @samp{Char:} describe the character that follows -point, first by showing it and then by giving its character code in -decimal, octal and hex. For a non-@acronym{ASCII} multibyte character, these are -followed by @samp{file} and the character's representation, in hex, in -the buffer's coding system, if that coding system encodes the character -safely and with a single byte (@pxref{Coding Systems}). If the -character's encoding is longer than one byte, Emacs shows @samp{file ...}. - - However, if the character displayed is in the range 0200 through -0377 octal, it may actually stand for an invalid UTF-8 byte read from -a file. In Emacs, that byte is represented as a sequence of 8-bit -characters, but all of them together display as the original invalid -byte, in octal code. In this case, @kbd{C-x =} shows @samp{part of -display ...} instead of @samp{file}. - - @samp{point=} is followed by the position of point expressed as a -character count. The start of the buffer is position 1, one character -later is position 2, and so on. The next, larger, number is the total -number of characters in the buffer. Afterward in parentheses comes -the position expressed as a percentage of the total size. - - @samp{column=} is followed by the horizontal position of point, in -columns from the left edge of the window. - - If the buffer has been narrowed, making some of the text at the -beginning and the end temporarily inaccessible, @kbd{C-x =} displays -additional text describing the currently accessible range. For example, it -might display this: - -@smallexample -Char: C (67, #o103, #x43) point=252 of 889 (28%) <231-599> column=0 -@end smallexample - -@noindent -where the two extra numbers give the smallest and largest character -position that point is allowed to assume. The characters between those -two positions are the accessible ones. @xref{Narrowing}. - - If point is at the end of the buffer (or the end of the accessible -part), the @w{@kbd{C-x =}} output does not describe a character after -point. The output might look like this: - -@smallexample -point=36169 of 36168 (EOB) column=0 -@end smallexample - -@cindex character set of character at point -@cindex font of character at point -@cindex text properties at point -@cindex face at point - @w{@kbd{C-u C-x =}} displays the following additional information about a -character. - -@itemize @bullet -@item -The character set name, and the codes that identify the character -within that character set; @acronym{ASCII} characters are identified -as belonging to the @code{ascii} character set. - -@item -The character's syntax and categories. - -@item -The character's encodings, both internally in the buffer, and externally -if you were to save the file. - -@item -What keys to type to input the character in the current input method -(if it supports the character). - -@item -If you are running Emacs on a graphical display, the font name and -glyph code for the character. If you are running Emacs on a text-only -terminal, the code(s) sent to the terminal. - -@item -The character's text properties (@pxref{Text Properties,,, -elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}), including any non-default -faces used to display the character, and any overlays containing it -(@pxref{Overlays,,, elisp, the same manual}). -@end itemize - - Here's an example showing the Latin-1 character A with grave accent, -in a buffer whose coding system is @code{iso-latin-1}, whose -terminal coding system is @code{iso-latin-1} (so the terminal actually -displays the character as @samp{@`A}), and which has font-lock-mode -(@pxref{Font Lock}) enabled: - -@smallexample - character: @`A (2240, #o4300, #x8c0, U+00C0) - charset: latin-iso8859-1 - (Right-Hand Part of Latin Alphabet 1@dots{} - code point: #x40 - syntax: w which means: word - category: l:Latin - to input: type "`A" with latin-1-prefix -buffer code: #x81 #xC0 - file code: #xC0 (encoded by coding system iso-latin-1) - display: terminal code #xC0 - -There are text properties here: - fontified t -@end smallexample - -@node Arguments -@section Numeric Arguments -@cindex numeric arguments -@cindex prefix arguments -@cindex arguments to commands - - In mathematics and computer usage, @dfn{argument} means -``data provided to a function or operation.'' You can give any Emacs -command a @dfn{numeric argument} (also called a @dfn{prefix argument}). -Some commands interpret the argument as a repetition count. For -example, @kbd{C-f} with an argument of ten moves forward ten characters -instead of one. With these commands, no argument is equivalent to an -argument of one. Negative arguments tell most such commands to move or -act in the opposite direction. - -@kindex M-1 -@kindex M-@t{-} -@findex digit-argument -@findex negative-argument - If your terminal keyboard has a @key{META} key (labeled @key{ALT} on -PC keyboards), the easiest way to specify a numeric argument is to -type digits and/or a minus sign while holding down the @key{META} key. -For example, - -@example -M-5 C-n -@end example - -@noindent -moves down five lines. The characters @kbd{Meta-1}, @kbd{Meta-2}, -and so on, as well as @kbd{Meta--}, do this because they are keys bound -to commands (@code{digit-argument} and @code{negative-argument}) that -are defined to set up an argument for the next command. -@kbd{Meta--} without digits normally means @minus{}1. Digits and -@kbd{-} modified with Control, or Control and Meta, also specify numeric -arguments. - -@kindex C-u -@findex universal-argument - You can also specify a numeric argument by typing @kbd{C-u} -(@code{universal-argument}) followed by the digits. The advantage of -@kbd{C-u} is that you can type the digits without modifier keys; thus, -@kbd{C-u} works on all terminals. For a negative argument, type a -minus sign after @kbd{C-u}. A minus sign without digits normally -means @minus{}1. - - @kbd{C-u} alone has the special meaning of -``four times'': it multiplies the argument for the next command by -four. @kbd{C-u C-u} multiplies it by sixteen. Thus, @kbd{C-u C-u -C-f} moves forward sixteen characters. This is a good way to move -forward ``fast,'' since it moves about 1/5 of a line in the usual size -screen. Other useful combinations are @kbd{C-u C-n}, @kbd{C-u C-u -C-n} (move down a good fraction of a screen), @kbd{C-u C-u C-o} (make -``a lot'' of blank lines), and @kbd{C-u C-k} (kill four lines). - - Some commands care whether there is an argument, but ignore its -value. For example, the command @kbd{M-q} (@code{fill-paragraph}) -fills text; with an argument, it justifies the text as well. -(@xref{Filling}, for more information on @kbd{M-q}.) Plain @kbd{C-u} -is a handy way of providing an argument for such commands. - - Some commands use the value of the argument as a repeat count, but do -something peculiar when there is no argument. For example, the command -@kbd{C-k} (@code{kill-line}) with argument @var{n} kills @var{n} lines, -including their terminating newlines. But @kbd{C-k} with no argument is -special: it kills the text up to the next newline, or, if point is right at -the end of the line, it kills the newline itself. Thus, two @kbd{C-k} -commands with no arguments can kill a nonblank line, just like @kbd{C-k} -with an argument of one. (@xref{Killing}, for more information on -@kbd{C-k}.) - - A few commands treat a plain @kbd{C-u} differently from an ordinary -argument. A few others may treat an argument of just a minus sign -differently from an argument of @minus{}1. These unusual cases are -described when they come up; they exist to make an individual command -more convenient, and they are documented in that command's -documentation string. - - You can use a numeric argument before a self-inserting character to -insert multiple copies of it. This is straightforward when the -character is not a digit; for example, @kbd{C-u 6 4 a} inserts 64 -copies of the character @samp{a}. But this does not work for -inserting digits; @kbd{C-u 6 4 1} specifies an argument of 641. You -can separate the argument from the digit to insert with another -@kbd{C-u}; for example, @kbd{C-u 6 4 C-u 1} does insert 64 copies of -the character @samp{1}. - - We use the term ``prefix argument'' as well as ``numeric argument,'' -to emphasize that you type these argument before the command, and to -distinguish them from minibuffer arguments that come after the -command. - -@node Repeating -@section Repeating a Command -@cindex repeating a command - - Many simple commands, such as those invoked with a single key or -with @kbd{M-x @var{command-name} @key{RET}}, can be repeated by -invoking them with a numeric argument that serves as a repeat count -(@pxref{Arguments}). However, if the command you want to repeat -prompts for input, or uses a numeric argument in another way, that -method won't work. - -@kindex C-x z -@findex repeat - The command @kbd{C-x z} (@code{repeat}) provides another way to repeat -an Emacs command many times. This command repeats the previous Emacs -command, whatever that was. Repeating a command uses the same arguments -that were used before; it does not read new arguments each time. - - To repeat the command more than once, type additional @kbd{z}'s: each -@kbd{z} repeats the command one more time. Repetition ends when you -type a character other than @kbd{z}, or press a mouse button. - - For example, suppose you type @kbd{C-u 2 0 C-d} to delete 20 -characters. You can repeat that command (including its argument) three -additional times, to delete a total of 80 characters, by typing @kbd{C-x -z z z}. The first @kbd{C-x z} repeats the command once, and each -subsequent @kbd{z} repeats it once again. - -@ignore - arch-tag: cda8952a-c439-41c1-aecf-4bc0d6482956 -@end ignore