@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 97, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001,
+@c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Basic, Minibuffer, Exiting, Top
@chapter Basic Editing Commands
* Moving Point:: How to move the cursor to the place where you want to
change something.
* Erasing:: Deleting and killing text.
-* Undo:: Undoing recent changes in the 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:: Commands to make or delete blank lines.
then if 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 @key{DEL}. @key{DEL}
-deletes the character @emph{before} the cursor (not the one that the cursor
-is on top of or under; that is the character @var{after} the cursor). The
-cursor and all characters after it move backwards. Therefore, if you type
-a printing character and then type @key{DEL}, they cancel out.
+ 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. This is the key you
+normally use, outside Emacs, for erasing the last character that you
+typed. Regardless of the label on that key, Emacs thinks of it as
+@key{DEL}, and that's what we call it in this manual.
+
+ 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 recognizes automatically which key ought to
+be @key{DEL}, and sets it up that way. But in some cases, especially
+with text-only terminals, you will need to tell Emacs which key to use
+for that purpose. If the large key not far above the @key{RET} or
+@key{ENTER} key doesn't delete backwards, you need to do this.
+@xref{DEL Does Not Delete}, for an explanation of how.
+
+ Most PC keyboards have both a @key{BACKSPACE} key not far above
+@key{RET} or @key{ENTER}, and a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere. On these
+keyboards, Emacs supports when possible the usual convention that the
+@key{BACKSPACE} key deletes backwards (it is @key{DEL}), while the
+@key{DELETE} key deletes ``forwards,'' deleting the character after
+point, the one underneath the cursor, like @kbd{C-d} (see below).
@kindex RET
@cindex newline
To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}. This
inserts a newline character in the buffer. If point is in the middle of
-a line, @key{RET} splits the line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is
+a line, the effect is to split the line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is
at the beginning of a line deletes the preceding newline, thus joining
the line with the preceding line.
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 how to use Auto Fill mode.
+@xref{Filling}, for how to use Auto Fill mode and other modes for
+@dfn{filling} text.
If you prefer to have text characters replace (overwrite) existing
text rather than shove it to the right, you can enable Overwrite mode,
@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 is itself used as input after terminating the sequence.
-(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.)
+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 to @emph{which} of the ISO 8859 character sets should Emacs
-convert the 8-bit code through your choice of language environment
-(@pxref{Language Environments}).
+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
@section Changing the Location of Point
@cindex arrow keys
-@kindex LEFT
-@kindex RIGHT
-@kindex UP
-@kindex DOWN
@cindex moving point
@cindex movement
@cindex cursor motion
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 (these date back to the days before
-terminals had arrow keys, and are usable on terminals which don't have
-them). Others do more sophisticated things.
+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 M->
@kindex M-<
@kindex M-r
-@findex beginning-of-line
-@findex end-of-line
+@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 move-to-window-line
@table @kbd
@item C-a
-Move to the beginning of the line (@code{beginning-of-line}).
+Move to the beginning of the line (@code{move-beginning-of-line}).
@item C-e
-Move to the end of the line (@code{end-of-line}).
+Move to the end of the line (@code{move-end-of-line}).
@item C-f
-Move forward one character (@code{forward-char}).
+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}).
+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
@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 end in the middle of the next. When on
-the last line of text, @kbd{C-n} creates a new line and moves onto it.
+the middle of one line, you end in the middle of the next. The
+down-arrow key does the same thing.
@item C-p
-Move up one line, vertically (@code{previous-line}).
+Move up one line, vertically (@code{previous-line}). The up-arrow key
+has the same effect.
@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.
@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 further described 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-x goto-line
-Read a number @var{n} and move point to line number @var{n}. Line 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, then that is the default for @var{n}, if you just
+press @key{RET} with an empty minibuffer.
@item C-x C-n
@findex set-goal-column
@kindex C-x C-n
@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 at the end of the starting line move
+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
- If non-@code{nil}, @kbd{C-n} on the last line of a buffer appends a
-newline to it. If the variable @code{next-line-add-newlines} is
-@code{nil}, the default, then @kbd{C-n} gets an error instead (like
-@kbd{C-p} on the first line).
+ @kbd{C-n} normally stops at the end of the buffer when you use it on
+the last line of the buffer. But 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 onto it.
-@node Erasing
+@node Erasing
@section Erasing Text
@table @kbd
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
@xref{Killing}, for more flexible ways of killing text.
-@node Undo
+@node Basic Undo
@section Undoing Changes
-@cindex undo
-@cindex changes, undoing
- You can undo all the recent changes in the buffer text, up to a
-certain point. Each buffer records changes individually, and the undo
-command always applies to the current buffer. Usually each editing
-command makes a separate entry in the undo records, but some commands
-such as @code{query-replace} make many entries, and very simple commands
-such as self-inserting characters are often grouped to make undoing less
-tedious.
+ Emacs records a list of changes made in the buffer text, so you can
+you can undo all the 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 batch of changes---usually, one command worth (@code{undo}).
+Undo one entry of the undo records---usually, one command worth
+(@code{undo}).
@item C-_
+@itemx C-/
The same.
-@item C-u C-x u
-Undo one batch of changes in the region.
@end table
-@kindex C-x u
-@kindex C-_
-@findex undo
- The command @kbd{C-x u} or @kbd{C-_} is how you undo. The first time
-you give this command, it undoes the last change. Point moves back to
-where it was before the command that made the change.
-
- Consecutive repetitions of @kbd{C-_} or @kbd{C-x u} undo earlier and
-earlier changes, back to the limit of the undo information available.
-If all recorded changes have already been undone, the undo command
-prints an error message and does nothing.
-
- Any command other than an undo command breaks the sequence of undo
-commands. Starting from that moment, the previous undo commands become
-ordinary changes that you can undo. Thus, to redo changes you have
-undone, type @kbd{C-f} or any other command that will harmlessly break
-the sequence of undoing, then type more undo commands.
-
-@cindex selective undo
-@kindex C-u C-x u
- Ordinary undo applies to all changes made in the current buffer. You
-can also perform @dfn{selective undo}, limited to the current region.
-To do this, specify the region you want, then run the @code{undo}
-command with a prefix argument (the value does not matter): @kbd{C-u C-x
-u} or @kbd{C-u C-_}. This undoes the most recent change in the region.
-To undo further changes in the same region, repeat the @code{undo}
-command (no prefix argument is needed). In Transient Mark mode, any use
-of @code{undo} when there is an active region performs selective undo;
-you do not need a prefix argument.
-
- If you notice that a buffer has been modified accidentally, the
-easiest way to recover is to type @kbd{C-_} repeatedly until the stars
-disappear from the front of the mode line. At this time, all the
-modifications you made have been canceled. Whenever an undo command
-makes the stars disappear from the mode line, it means that the buffer
-contents are the same as they were when the file was last read in or
-saved.
-
- If you do not remember whether you changed the buffer deliberately,
-type @kbd{C-_} once. When you see the last change you made undone, you
-will see whether it was an intentional change. If it was an accident,
-leave it undone. If it was deliberate, redo the change as described
-above.
-
- Not all buffers record undo information. Buffers whose names start with
-spaces don't; these buffers are used internally by Emacs and its extensions
-to hold text that users don't normally look at or edit.
-
- You cannot undo mere cursor motion; only changes in the buffer
-contents save undo information. 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}).
-
-@vindex undo-limit
-@vindex undo-strong-limit
-@cindex undo limit
- When the undo information for a buffer becomes too large, Emacs
-discards the oldest undo information from time to time (during garbage
-collection). You can specify how much undo information to keep by
-setting two variables: @code{undo-limit} and @code{undo-strong-limit}.
-Their values are expressed in units of bytes of space.
-
- The variable @code{undo-limit} sets a soft limit: Emacs keeps undo
-data for enough commands to reach this size, and perhaps exceed it, but
-does not keep data for any earlier commands beyond that. Its default
-value is 20000. The variable @code{undo-strong-limit} sets a stricter
-limit: the command which pushes the size past this amount is itself
-forgotten. Its default value is 30000.
-
- Regardless of the values of those variables, the most recent change is
-never discarded, so there is no danger that garbage collection occurring
-right after an unintentional large change might prevent you from undoing
-it.
-
- The reason the @code{undo} command has two keys, @kbd{C-x u} and
-@kbd{C-_}, set up to run it is that it is worthy of a single-character
-key, but on some keyboards it is not obvious how to type @kbd{C-_}.
-@kbd{C-x u} is an alternative you can type straightforwardly on any
-terminal.
+ The command @kbd{C-x u} (or @kbd{C-_} or @kbd{C-/}) is how you undo.
+The first time you give this command, it undoes the last change.
+Point moves back to where it was before the command that made the
+change.
+
+ Consecutive repetitions of @kbd{C-x u} (or its aliases) undo earlier
+and earlier changes, 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
The commands described above are sufficient for creating and altering
text in an Emacs buffer; the more advanced Emacs commands just make
-things easier. But to keep any text permanently you must put it in a
+things easier. However, 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 look at or use
the contents of a file in any way, including editing the file with
Emacs, you must specify the file name.
- Consider a file named @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. In Emacs, to begin editing
-this file, type
+ Consider a file named @file{test.emacs}. (We can assume it is in
+your home directory.) In Emacs, to begin editing this file, type
@example
-C-x C-f /usr/rms/foo.c @key{RET}
+C-x C-f test.emacs @key{RET}
@end example
@noindent
the buffer for you to edit. 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 makes the changes permanent by copying the altered buffer contents
-back into the file @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. Until you save, the changes
-exist only inside Emacs, and the file @file{foo.c} is unaltered.
+back into the file @file{test.emacs}. Until you save, the changes
+exist only inside Emacs, and the file @file{test.emacs} is unaltered.
To create a file, just visit the file with @kbd{C-x C-f} as if it
already existed. This creates an empty buffer in which you can insert
Here are special commands and techniques for putting in and taking out
blank lines.
-@c widecommands
@table @kbd
@item C-o
Insert one or more blank lines after the cursor (@code{open-line}).
You can make several blank lines by typing @kbd{C-o} several times, or
by giving it a numeric argument to tell it how many blank lines to make.
-@xref{Arguments}, for how. If you have a fill prefix, then @kbd{C-o}
+@xref{Arguments}, for how. If you have a fill prefix, the @kbd{C-o}
command inserts the fill prefix on the new line, when you use it at the
beginning of a line. @xref{Fill Prefix}.
@cindex continuation line
@cindex wrapping
@cindex line wrapping
+@cindex fringes, and continuation lines
If you add too many characters to one line without breaking it with
-@key{RET}, the line will grow to occupy two (or more) lines on the screen,
-with a @samp{\} at the extreme right margin of all but the last of them.
-The @samp{\} says that the following screen line is not really a distinct
-line in the text, but just the @dfn{continuation} of a line too long to fit
-the screen. Continuation is also called @dfn{line wrapping}.
-
- Sometimes it is nice to have Emacs insert newlines automatically when
-a line gets too long. Continuation on the screen does not do that. Use
-Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling}) if that's what you want.
-
-@vindex truncate-lines
-@findex toggle-truncate-lines
+@key{RET}, the line grows to occupy two (or more) lines on the screen.
+On graphical displays, Emacs indicates line wrapping with small bent
+arrows in the fringes to the left and right of the window. 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
+distinct line in the text, just a @dfn{continuation} of a line too
+long to fit the screen. Continuation is also called @dfn{line
+wrapping}.
+
+ When line wrapping occurs 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, just before the @samp{\}
+character that indicates continuation.
+
+ Continued lines can be rather difficult to read, since each line is
+typically broken in the middle of a word. You can have Emacs insert a
+newline automatically when a line gets too long, by using Auto Fill
+mode. Another approach, intermediate between continued lines and Auto
+Fill mode, is Long Lines mode, which ensures that wrapping only occurs
+in the spaces between words. @xref{Filling}.
+
@cindex truncation
- As an alternative to continuation, Emacs can display long lines by
-@dfn{truncation}. This means that all the characters that do not fit in
-the width of the screen or window do not appear at all. They remain in
-the buffer, temporarily invisible. @samp{$} is used in the last column
-instead of @samp{\} to inform you that truncation is in effect.
-
- Truncation instead of continuation happens whenever horizontal
-scrolling is in use, and optionally in all side-by-side windows
-(@pxref{Windows}). You can enable truncation for a particular buffer by
-setting the variable @code{truncate-lines} to non-@code{nil} in that
-buffer. (@xref{Variables}.) Altering the value of
-@code{truncate-lines} makes it local to the current buffer; until that
-time, the default value is in effect. The default is initially
-@code{nil}. @xref{Locals}.
-
- The command @kbd{M-x toggle-truncate-lines} toggles the display
-between continuation and truncation.
-
- @xref{Display Vars}, for additional variables that affect how text is
-displayed.
+@cindex line truncation, and fringes
+ Emacs can also display long lines by @dfn{truncation}. This means
+that all the characters that do not fit in the width of the screen or
+window do not appear at all. @samp{$} in the last column or a small
+straight arrow in the fringe to the right of the window indicates a
+truncated line.
+
+ @xref{Display Custom}, for more information about line truncation,
+and other variables that affect how text is displayed.
@node Position Info
@section Cursor Position Information
@table @kbd
@item M-x what-page
-Print page number of point, and line number within page.
+Display the page number of point, and the line number within the page.
@item M-x what-line
-Print line number of point in the buffer.
+Display the line number of point in the buffer.
@item M-x line-number-mode
@itemx M-x column-number-mode
Toggle automatic display of current line number or column number.
@xref{Optional Mode Line}.
@item M-=
-Print number of lines in the current region (@code{count-lines-region}).
+Display the number of lines in the current region (@code{count-lines-region}).
@xref{Mark}, for information about the region.
@item C-x =
-Print character code of character after point, character position of
+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
-Highlighting the current line.
+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
@cindex location of point
@cindex cursor location
@cindex point location
- There are two commands for working with line numbers. @kbd{M-x
-what-line} computes the current line number and displays it in the echo
-area. To go to a given line by number, use @kbd{M-x goto-line}; it
-prompts you for the number. These line numbers count from one at the
-beginning of the buffer.
-
- You can also see the current line number in the mode line; @xref{Mode
-Line}. If you narrow the buffer, then 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.
-
- By contrast, @kbd{M-x what-page} counts pages from the beginning of
-the file, and counts lines within the page, printing both numbers.
+ @kbd{M-x what-line} computes the current line number and displays it
+in the echo area. You can also see the current line number in the
+mode line; see @ref{Mode Line}. If you narrow the buffer, then 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
While on this subject, we might as well mention @kbd{M-=} (@code{count-lines-region}),
-which prints the number of lines in the region (@pxref{Mark}).
+which 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}) can be used to find out
-the column that the cursor is in, and other miscellaneous information about
-point. It prints a line in the echo area that looks like this:
+ The command @kbd{C-x =} (@code{what-cursor-position}) shows what
+column the cursor is in, and other miscellaneous information about
+point and the character after it. It displays a line in the echo area
+that looks like this:
@smallexample
-Char: c (0143, 99, 0x63) point=21044 of 26883(78%) column 53
+Char: c (99, #o143, #x63) point=28062 of 36168 (78%) column=53
@end smallexample
-@noindent
-(In fact, this is the output produced when point is before the
-@samp{column} in the example.)
-
The four values after @samp{Char:} describe the character that follows
point, first by showing it and then by giving its character code in
-octal, decimal and hex. For a non-ASCII multibyte character, these are
-followed by @samp{ext} and the character's representation, in hex, 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{ext ...}.
+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 front of the buffer counts as position 1, one character later
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
+ @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 =} prints
+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 (0103, 67, 0x43) point=252 of 889(28%) <231 - 599> column 0
+Char: C (67, #o103, #x43) point=252 of 889 (28%) <231-599> column=0
@end smallexample
@noindent
point. The output might look like this:
@smallexample
-point=26957 of 26956(100%) column 0
+point=36169 of 36168 (EOB) column=0
@end smallexample
- @w{@kbd{C-u C-x =}} displays additional information about a character,
-in place of the buffer coordinates and column: the character set name
-and the codes that identify the character within that character set;
-ASCII characters are identified as belonging to the @code{ASCII}
-character set. In addition, the full character encoding, even if it
-takes more than a single byte, is shown after @samp{ext}. Here's an
-example for a Latin-1 character A with a grave accent in a buffer whose
-coding system is iso-2022-7bit@footnote{On terminals that support
-Latin-1 characters, the character shown after @samp{Char:} is displayed
-as the actual glyph of A with grave accent.}:
+@cindex character set of character at point
+@cindex font of character at point
+@cindex text properties at point
+ @w{@kbd{C-u C-x =}} displays the following additional information about a
+character.
-@example
-Char: @`A (04300, 2240, 0x8c0, ext ESC , A @@) (latin-iso8859-1 64)
-@end example
+@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 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.
-@findex hl-line-mode
-@findex blink-cursor-mode
-@cindex cursor, locating visually
-@cindex cursor, blinking
-@kbd{M-x hl-line-mode} turns on a global minor mode which highlights the
-line about point in the selected window (on terminals which support
-highlighting). Some people find this convenient. If you find the
-cursor difficult to spot, you might try changing its color by
-customizing the @code{cursor} face or rely on (the default)
-@code{blink-cursor-mode}. Cursor color and blinking can be conrolled
-via the @code{cursor} Custom group.
+@item
+The character's text properties (@pxref{Text Properties,,,
+elisp, the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}), 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, numeric
-@cindex arguments, prefix
+@cindex arguments to commands
In mathematics and computer usage, the word @dfn{argument} means
``data provided to a function or operation.'' You can give any Emacs
@kindex M-@t{-}
@findex digit-argument
@findex negative-argument
- If your terminal keyboard has a @key{META} key, 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,
+ 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
would move 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 contribute to an argument for the next command. Digits
-and @kbd{-} modified with Control, or Control and Meta, also specify
-numeric arguments.
+are defined to contribute to 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
negative argument, type a minus sign after @kbd{C-u}. Just a minus sign
without digits normally means @minus{}1.
- @kbd{C-u} followed by a character which is neither a digit nor a minus
-sign has the special meaning of ``multiply by four.'' It multiplies the
-argument for the next command by four. @kbd{C-u} twice 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).@refill
+ @kbd{C-u} without digits or minus sign 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).@refill
Some commands care only about whether there is an argument, and not about
its value. For example, the command @kbd{M-q} (@code{fill-paragraph}) with
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 are always for reasons of convenience
-of use of the individual command.
+described when they come up; they are always for reasons of
+convenience of use of the individual command, and they are documented
+in the command's documentation string.
You can use a numeric argument to insert multiple copies of a
character. This is straightforward unless the character is a digit; for
@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 some input, or uses a numeric argument in another way,
+repetition using a numeric argument might be problematical.
+
@kindex C-x z
@findex repeat
The command @kbd{C-x z} (@code{repeat}) provides another way to repeat
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