@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) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,97,2000,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Basic, Minibuffer, Exiting, Top
@chapter Basic Editing Commands
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 a short ways 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
@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
@kindex M->
@kindex M-<
@kindex M-r
+@kindex LEFT
+@kindex RIGHT
+@kindex UP
+@kindex DOWN
@findex beginning-of-line
@findex end-of-line
@findex forward-char
@item C-e
Move to the end of the line (@code{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
+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} key, it does the same thing.
+
+Scrolling commands are further described in @ref{Scrolling}.
+@item M-v
+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. The @key{PAGEUP} key has the same
+effect.
@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.
@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 gets an error when you use it on the last line of
+the buffer (just as @kbd{C-p} gets an error on the first line). 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
@section Erasing Text
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, like @key{DEL}.
+If that is @key{BACKSPACE}, 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
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.
+displays 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
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}).
@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. On terminals, one or more @samp{\} characters are displayed
-at the extreme right margin of all but the last of them. The @samp{\}
-characters say 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}.
-More than one @samp{\} is displayed for a wrapped character which is
-wider than one column. On window systems, small bitmaps are displayed
-in the fringes to the left and right of the window to indicate line
-wrapping.
+@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.
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
@cindex truncation
+@cindex line truncation, and fringes
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. On terminals, @samp{$}
-is used in the last column instead of @samp{\} to inform you that
-truncation is in effect. On window systems, a small bitmap in the
-fringe to the right of the window indicates line truncation.
+in the last column informs you that the line has been truncated on the
+display. On window systems, a small straight arrow in the fringe to
+the right of the window indicates a truncated line.
+@findex toggle-truncate-lines
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.
+(@pxref{Windows}). You can enable or disable truncation for a
+particular buffer with the command @kbd{M-x toggle-truncate-lines}.
- @xref{Display Vars}, for additional variables that affect how text is
+ @xref{Display Custom}, for additional variables that affect how text is
displayed.
@node Position Info
@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}.
@end table
@findex what-page
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
+ 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.
- 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-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.
@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:
+point. 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
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:
point=26957 of 26956(100%) 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.}:
+ @w{@kbd{C-u C-x =}} displays additional information about a
+character, including 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. It also
+shows the character's syntax, categories, and encodings both
+internally in the buffer and externally if you save the file. It also
+shows the character's text properties, if any.
-@example
-Char: @`A (04300, 2240, 0x8c0, ext ESC , A @@) (latin-iso8859-1 64)
-@end example
+ Here's an example showing the Latin-1 character A with grave accent,
+in a buffer whose coding system is @code{iso-2022-7bit} and whose
+terminal coding system is @code{iso-latin-1} (so the terminal actually
+displays the character as @samp{@`A}):
-@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.
+@smallexample
+ character: @`A (04300, 2240, 0x8c0)
+ charset: latin-iso8859-1
+ (Right-Hand Part of Latin Alphabet 1@dots{}
+ code point: 64
+ syntax: w which means: word
+ category: l:Latin
+ buffer code: 0x81 0xC0
+ file code: ESC 2C 41 40 (encoded by coding system iso-2022-7bit)
+terminal code: C0
+@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
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,
+
@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
@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