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1 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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2 @node Edit, Customization Basics, Windows and Menus, Top
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3 @chapter Basic Editing Commands
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4
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5 @kindex C-h t
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6 @findex help-with-tutorial
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7 This chapter will introduce you to some basic editing commands. You
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8 can also learn the basic editing commands by typing @kbd{Control-h t}
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9 (@code{help-with-tutorial} OR by selecting @b{Emacs Tutorial} from the
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10 @b{Help} menu on the menu bar. Most of the Emacs commands will use the
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11 @key{CONTROL} key or the @key{META} key. The following abbreviations
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12 will be used for the @key{CONTROL} and @key{META} key in this manual:
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13
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14 @table @kbd
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15 @item C-<chr>
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16 This means that you should hold down the @key{CONTROL} key while typing
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17 @kbd{<chr>}. For example, if the command is @kbd{C-g}, you should hold
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18 the @key{CONTROL} key and type @key{g}.
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19 @item M-<chr>
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20 This means that you should hold down the @kbd{META} key while typing
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21 @kbd{<chr>}. If there is no @kbd{META} key on your keyboard, use the
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22 @kbd{ESC} key instead. For example, if the command is @kbd{M-x}, then
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23 type @kbd{ESC}, release it and type @kbd{x}.
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24 @end table
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25
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26 The following abbreviations will be used for some other keys:
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27
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28 @table @key
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29 @item SPC
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30 Space bar.
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31 @item RET
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32 Return key.
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33 @item LFD
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34 Linefeed key.
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35 @item TAB
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36 Tab.
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37 @item ESC
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38 Escape.
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39 @item SFT
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40 Shift.
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41 @end table
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42
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43 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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44 @menu
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45 * Insert:: Insert text in Emacs by simply typing at
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46 the cursor position.
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47 * Cursor Position:: Moving Around the cursor in the buffer,
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48 * Erase:: Different commands for erasing text
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49 * Numeric Argument:: Giving Numeric Arguments to commands
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50 * Undo:: Undoing Changes made by mistake
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51 @end menu
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52
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53 @node Insert, Cursor Position, Edit, Edit
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54 @section Inserting Text
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55
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56 @cindex insertion
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57 @cindex overstrike
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58 To insert printing characters into the text you are editing, just
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59 type them. Emacs will automatically insert the characters that you type
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60 into the buffer at the cursor. The cursor moves forward, but if you
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61 prefer to have text characters replace (overwrite) existing text
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62 characters, you can enable the @b{Overstrike} option from the
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63 @b{Options} menu in the menu bar.
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64
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65 @kindex DEL
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66 @cindex deletion
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67 To @dfn{delete} text you have just inserted, use @key{DEL}.
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68 @key{DEL} deletes the character @var{before} the cursor (not the one
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69 that the cursor is on top of or under; that is the character @var{after}
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70 the cursor). The cursor and all characters after it move backwards.
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71 Therefore, if you type a printing character and then type @key{DEL},
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72 they cancel out.
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73
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74 Unfortunately, computer and keyboard manufacturers differ over the
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75 name of the @key{DEL} key. This is the key at the far right of the row
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76 of keys containing the digits, usually immediately above the @kbd{RET}
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77 key. It is usually labelled ``Backspace'' or ``Delete'' or some
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78 abbreviation. Modern keyboards will often have another key labelled
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79 ``Del'' in the @emph{edit keypad} (along with an ``Ins'' key and perhaps
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80 some others). This is not the @kbd{DEL} key referred to here. It
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81 usually deletes @emph{forward} in Emacs.
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82
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83 @kindex RET
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84 @cindex newline
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85 @findex auto-fill-mode
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86 To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}. On some
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87 keyboards, this key is labelled ``Enter''. This
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88 inserts a newline character in the buffer. If point is in the middle of
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89 a line, @key{RET} splits the line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is
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90 at the beginning of a line rubs out the newline before the line, thus
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91 joining the line with the preceding line.
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92
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93 Emacs automatically splits lines when they become too long, if you
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94 turn on a special mode called @dfn{Auto Fill} mode.
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95 @xref{Filling,,,xemacs,XEmacs User's Manual}, for information on using Auto Fill
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96 mode.
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97
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98
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99 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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100 @node Cursor Position, Erase, Insert, Edit
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101 @section Moving Around
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102 @cindex cursor control
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103 @cindex cursor position
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104
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105 The following commands will allow you to move the cursor around the
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106 screen. The actual function names corresponding to these commands are
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107 given in parenthesis. You can also invoke these commands by typing
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108 @kbd{M-x <function name>}. You can do this for any command in XEmacs.
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109
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110 @kindex C-a
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111 @kindex C-e
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112 @kindex C-fx
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113 @kindex C-b
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114 @kindex C-n
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115 @kindex C-p
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116 @kindex C-v
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117 @kindex M-v
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118 @kindex C-t
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119 @kindex M->
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120 @kindex M-<
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121 @findex beginning-of-line
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122 @findex end-of-line
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123 @findex forward-char
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124 @findex backward-char
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125 @findex next-line
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126 @findex previous-line
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127 @findex transpose-chars
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128 @findex beginning-of-buffer
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129 @findex end-of-buffer
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130 @findex goto-char
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131 @findex goto-line
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132 @table @kbd
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133 @item C-b
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134 Move the cursor backward one character (@code{backward-char}).
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135 @item C-f
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136 Move the cursor forward one character (@code{forward-char}).
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137 @item C-p
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138 Move the cursor up one line vertically (@code{previous-line}).
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139 @item C-n
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140 Move the cursor down one line vertically (@code{next-line}).
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141 @item C-a
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142 Move the cursor to the beginning of the line (@code{beginning-of-line}).
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143 @item C-e
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144 Move the cursor to the end of the line (@code{end-of-line}).
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145 @item M-f
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146 @findex forward-word
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147 Move the cursor forward one word (@code{forward-word}).
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148 @item M-b
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149 @findex backward-word
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150 Move the cursor backward one word (@code{backward-word}).
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151 @item M-<
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152 Move the cursor to the top of the buffer (@code{beginning-of-buffer}).
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153 @item M->
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154 Move the cursor to the end of the buffer (@code{end-of-buffer}).
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155 @item M-x goto-char RET <number> RET
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156 To enable this command type @kbd{M-x goto-char}, and hit @key{RETURN}
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157 key. In the @dfn{echo area} you will see:
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158
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159 @example
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160 Goto char:
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161 @end example
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162
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163 @noindent
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164 You should then type in a number right after the colon
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165 and hit the @kbd{RETURN} key again. After reading a number @var{n} this
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166 command will move the cursor to character number @var{n}.
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167 Position 1 is the beginning of the buffer. For example, if you type
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168 @kbd{M-x goto-char RET 200 RET}, then the cursor will move to the 200th
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169 character starting from the beginning of the buffer.
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170
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171 @item M-x goto-line RET <number> RET
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172 @cindex goto-line
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173 To enable this command type @kbd{M-x goto-line}, and hit the
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174 @key{RETURN} key. After you see @kbd{Goto line:} in the @dfn{echo area},
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175 type in a number @var{n} and hit @key{RETURN} key again. This command will
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176 position the cursor on the nth line starting from the beginning of the
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177 buffer.
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178 @item M-x what-line RET
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179 This command will display the current line number in the echo area.
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180
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181 @end table
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182
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183
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184 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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185 @node Erase, Numeric Argument, Cursor Position, Edit
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186 @section Erasing Text
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187
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188 @cindex erasing
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189 @cindex deleting
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190 @kindex C-d
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191 @kindex C-k
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192 @kindex M-d
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193 @kindex M-DEL
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194 @kindex M-k
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195 @kindex M-z
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196 @findex delete-backward-char
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197 @findex delete-char
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198 @findex kill-line
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199 @findex kill-word
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200 @findex backward-kill-word
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201 @findex kill-sentence
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202 @findex zap-to-char
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203
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204 @table @kbd
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205 @item @key{DEL}
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206 If you press @key{DEL} i.e. the @dfn{delete} key, it will delete the
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207 character before the cursor (@code{delete-backward-char}).
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208 @item C-d
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209 This will delete the character after the cursor (@code{delete-char}).
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210 @item C-k
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211 Kill to the end of the line (@code{kill-line}). If you kill the line by
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212 mistake you can @dfn{yank} or @samp{paste} it back by typing
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213 @kbd{C-y}. @xref{Moving Text}, for more information on yanking.
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214 @item M-d
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215 Kill forward to the end of the next word (@code{kill-word}).
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216 @item M-@key{DEL}
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217 Kill back to the beginning of the previous word
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218 (@code{backward-kill-word}).
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219 @item M-k
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220 Kill to the end of current sentence (@code{kill-sentence}).
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221 @item M-z @var{char}
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222 Kill up to next occurrence of @var{char} (@code{zap-to-char}). To use
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223 this command type @kbd{M-z}. You will see the following statement in the
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224 echo area :
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225
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226 @example
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227 Zap to char:
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228 @end example
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229
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230 Type any char and press the @key{RET} key. For example, if you type
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231 @samp{p} then the entire text starting from the position of the cursor
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232 until the first occurrence of @samp{p} is killed.
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233 @end table
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234
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235
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236 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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237 @node Numeric Argument, Undo, Erase, Edit
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238 @section Giving Numeric Arguments
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239 @cindex numeric argument
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240 @cindex digit argument
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241 @cindex negative argument
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242 @kindex C-u
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243 @kindex M-@t{-}
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244
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245 Any Emacs command can be given a @dfn{numeric argument}. Some commands
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246 interpret the argument as a repetition count. For example, if you want
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247 to move forward ten characters, you could type @kbd{C-f} ten
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248 times. However, a more efficient way to do this would be to give an
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249 argument of ten to the key @kbd{C-f} (the command @code{forward-char}, move
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250 forward one character). Negative arguments are also allowed. Often they tell
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251 a command to move or act backwards. For example, if you want to move
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252 down ten lines, type the following:
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253 @example
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254 C-u 10 C-n
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255 @end example
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256 @noindent
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257 After you press the @kbd{C-n} key, the cursor will move ten lines
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258 downward. You can also type:
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259 @example
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260 M-10 C-n
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261 @end example
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262 @noindent
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263 Both @kbd{C-u} and @kbd{M-} allow you to give numeric arguments. If you
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264 want to move ten lines backward, you can also give negative arguments, like:
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265 @example
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266 C-u -10 C-n
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267 @end example
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268 @noindent
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269 OR you could also type:
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270 @example
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271 M--10 C-n
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272 @end example
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273 @noindent
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274 You can obviously use @kbd{C-b} to move backward rather than giving
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275 negative arguments to @kbd{C-n}. @xref{Numeric Arguments,,,xemacs,XEmacs
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276 User's Manual}, for more information on numeric arguments.
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277
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278 @comment node-name, next, previous, up
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279 @node Undo, , Numeric Argument, Edit
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280 @section Undoing Changes
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281 @cindex undo
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282 @cindex mistakes, correcting
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283
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284 When you are editing a buffer, you might type something by
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285 mistake. Emacs allows you to undo all changes you make to a buffer (but
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286 not more than 8000 characters). Each buffer in Emacs keeps a record of
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287 the changes made to it individually, so the undo command applies to the
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288 current buffer. There are two undo commands:
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289
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290 @table @kbd
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291 @kindex C-x u
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292 @item C-x u
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293 Undo one batch of changes (usually, one command's worth).
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294 (@code{undo}).
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295 @item C-_
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296 The same as above, but this command might not be obvious to type on some
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297 keyboards so it might be better to use the above command.
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298 @end table
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299
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300 @xref{Undoing Changes,,,xemacs,XEmacs User's Manual}, for more information on
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301 undoing changes.
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302
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303
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304
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305
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306
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307
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308
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309
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310
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311
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