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1 @c This is part of the XEmacs manual.
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2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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3 @c See file xemacs.texi for copying conditions.
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4 @node Basic, Undo, Packages, Top
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0
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5 @chapter Basic Editing Commands
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6
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7 @kindex C-h t
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8 @findex help-with-tutorial
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9 We now give the basics of how to enter text, make corrections, and
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10 save the text in a file. If this material is new to you, you might
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11 learn it more easily by running the Emacs learn-by-doing tutorial. To
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12 do this, type @kbd{Control-h t} (@code{help-with-tutorial}).
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13
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14 @section Inserting Text
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15
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16 @cindex insertion
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17 @cindex point
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18 @cindex cursor
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19 @cindex graphic characters
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20 To insert printing characters into the text you are editing, just type
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21 them. This inserts the characters into the buffer at the cursor (that
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22 is, at @dfn{point}; @pxref{Point}). The cursor moves forward. Any
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23 characters after the cursor move forward too. If the text in the buffer
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24 is @samp{FOOBAR}, with the cursor before the @samp{B}, and you type
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25 @kbd{XX}, the result is @samp{FOOXXBAR}, with the cursor still before the
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26 @samp{B}.
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27
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28 @kindex DEL
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29 @cindex deletion
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30 To @dfn{delete} text you have just inserted, use @key{DEL}.
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31 @key{DEL} deletes the character @var{before} the cursor (not the one
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32 that the cursor is on top of or under; that is the character @var{after}
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33 the cursor). The cursor and all characters after it move backwards.
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34 Therefore, if you type a printing character and then type @key{DEL},
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35 they cancel out.
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36
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37 @kindex RET
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38 @cindex newline
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39 To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}. This
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40 inserts a newline character in the buffer. If point is in the middle of
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41 a line, @key{RET} splits the line. Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is
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42 at the beginning of a line rubs out the newline before the line, thus
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43 joining the line with the preceding line.
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44
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45 Emacs automatically splits lines when they become too long, if you
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46 turn on a special mode called @dfn{Auto Fill} mode. @xref{Filling}, for
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47 information on using Auto Fill mode.
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48
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49 @findex delete-backward-char
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50 @findex newline
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51 @findex self-insert
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52 Customization information: @key{DEL}, in most modes, runs the command
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53 @code{delete-backward-char}; @key{RET} runs the command @code{newline},
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54 and self-inserting printing characters run the command
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55 @code{self-insert}, which inserts whatever character was typed to invoke
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56 it. Some major modes rebind @key{DEL} to other commands.
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57
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58 @cindex quoting
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59 @kindex C-q
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60 @findex quoted-insert
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61 Direct insertion works for printing characters and @key{SPC}, but
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62 other characters act as editing commands and do not insert themselves.
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63 If you need to insert a control character or a character whose code is
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64 above 200 octal, you must @dfn{quote} it by typing the character
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65 @kbd{control-q} (@code{quoted-insert}) first. There are two ways to use
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66 @kbd{C-q}:@refill
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67
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68 @itemize @bullet
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69 @item
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70 @kbd{Control-q} followed by any non-graphic character (even @kbd{C-g})
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71 inserts that character.
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72 @item
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73 @kbd{Control-q} followed by three octal digits inserts the character
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74 with the specified character code.
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75 @end itemize
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76
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77 @noindent
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78 A numeric argument to @kbd{C-q} specifies how many copies of the quoted
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79 character should be inserted (@pxref{Arguments}).
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80
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81 If you prefer to have text characters replace (overwrite) existing
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82 text instead of moving it to the right, you can enable Overwrite mode, a
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83 minor mode. @xref{Minor Modes}.
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84
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85 @section Changing the Location of Point
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86
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87 To do more than insert characters, you have to know how to move point
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88 (@pxref{Point}). Here are a few of the available commands.
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89
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90 NOTE: Many of the following commands have two versions, one that uses
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91 the function keys (e.g. @key{LEFT} or @key{END}) and one that doesn't.
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92 The former versions may only be available on X terminals (i.e. not on
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93 TTY's), but the latter are available on all terminals.
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94
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95 @kindex C-a
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96 @kindex C-e
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97 @kindex C-f
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98 @kindex C-b
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99 @kindex C-n
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100 @kindex C-p
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101 @kindex C-l
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102 @kindex C-t
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103 @kindex C-v
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104 @kindex M-v
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105 @kindex M->
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106 @kindex M-<
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107 @kindex M-r
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108 @kindex LEFT
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109 @kindex RIGHT
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110 @kindex UP
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111 @kindex DOWN
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112 @kindex HOME
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113 @kindex END
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114 @kindex PGUP
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115 @kindex PGDN
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116 @kindex C-LEFT
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117 @kindex C-RIGHT
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118 @kindex C-HOME
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119 @kindex C-END
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120 @findex beginning-of-line
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121 @findex end-of-line
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122 @findex forward-char
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123 @findex backward-char
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124 @findex next-line
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125 @findex previous-line
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126 @findex recenter
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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 @findex move-to-window-line
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133 @table @kbd
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134 @item C-a
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135 @itemx HOME
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136 Move to the beginning of the line (@code{beginning-of-line}).
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137 @item C-e
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138 @itemx END
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139 Move to the end of the line (@code{end-of-line}).
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140 @item C-f
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141 @itemx RIGHT
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142 Move forward one character (@code{forward-char}).
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143 @item C-b
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144 @itemx LEFT
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145 Move backward one character (@code{backward-char}).
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146 @item M-f
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147 @itemx C-RIGHT
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148 Move forward one word (@code{forward-word}).
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149 @item M-b
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150 @itemx C-LEFT
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151 Move backward one word (@code{backward-word}).
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152 @item C-n
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153 @itemx DOWN
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154 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.
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155 @item C-p
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156 @itemx UP
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157 Move up one line, vertically (@code{previous-line}).
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158 @item C-v
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159 @itemx PGDN
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160 Move down one page, vertically (@code{scroll-up}).
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161 @item M-v
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162 @itemx PGUP
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163 Move up one page, vertically (@code{scroll-down}).
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164 @item C-l
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165 Clear the frame and reprint everything (@code{recenter}). Text moves
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166 on the frame to bring point to the center of the window.
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167 @item M-r
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168 Move point to left margin on the line halfway down the frame or
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169 window (@code{move-to-window-line}). Text does not move on the
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170 frame. A numeric argument says how many screen lines down from the
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171 top of the window (zero for the top). A negative argument counts from
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172 the bottom (@minus{}1 for the bottom).
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173 @item C-t
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174 Transpose two characters, the ones before and after the cursor
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175 @*(@code{transpose-chars}).
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176 @item M-<
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177 @itemx C-HOME
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178 Move to the top of the buffer (@code{beginning-of-buffer}). With
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179 numeric argument @var{n}, move to @var{n}/10 of the way from the top.
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180 @xref{Arguments}, for more information on numeric arguments.@refill
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181 @item M->
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182 @itemx C-END
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183 Move to the end of the buffer (@code{end-of-buffer}).
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184 @item M-x goto-char
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185 Read a number @var{n} and move the cursor to character number @var{n}.
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186 Position 1 is the beginning of the buffer.
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187 @item M-g
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188 Read a number @var{n} and move cursor to line number @var{n}
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189 (@code{goto-line}). Line 1 is the beginning of the buffer.
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190 @item C-x C-n
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191 @findex set-goal-column
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192 Use the current column of point as the @dfn{semi-permanent goal column} for
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193 @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} (@code{set-goal-column}). Henceforth, those
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194 commands always move to this column in each line moved into, or as
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195 close as possible given the contents of the line. This goal column remains
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196 in effect until canceled.
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197 @item C-u C-x C-n
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198 Cancel the goal column. Henceforth, @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} once
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199 again try to avoid changing the horizontal position, as usual.
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200 @end table
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201
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202 @vindex track-eol
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203 If you set the variable @code{track-eol} to a non-@code{nil} value,
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204 @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} move to the end of the line when at the end of
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205 the starting line. By default, @code{track-eol} is @code{nil}.
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206
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207 @section Erasing Text
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208
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209 @table @kbd
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210 @item @key{DEL}
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211 Delete the character before the cursor (@code{delete-backward-char}).
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212 @item C-d
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213 Delete the character after the cursor (@code{delete-char}).
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214 @item C-k
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215 Kill to the end of the line (@code{kill-line}).
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216 @item M-d
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217 Kill forward to the end of the next word (@code{kill-word}).
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218 @item M-@key{DEL}
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219 Kill back to the beginning of the previous word
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220 (@code{backward-kill-word}).
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221 @end table
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222
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223 In contrast to the @key{DEL} key, which deletes the character before
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224 the cursor, @kbd{Control-d} deletes the character after the cursor,
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225 causing the rest of the text on the line to shift left. If
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226 @kbd{Control-d} is typed at the end of a line, that line and the next
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227 line are joined.
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228
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229 To erase a larger amount of text, use @kbd{Control-k}, which kills a
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230 line at a time. If you use @kbd{C-k} at the beginning or in the middle
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231 of a line, it kills all the text up to the end of the line. If you use
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232 @kbd{C-k} at the end of a line, it joins that line and the next
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233 line.
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234
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235 @xref{Killing}, for more flexible ways of killing text.
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236
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237 @section Files
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238
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239 @cindex files
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240 The commands above are sufficient for creating and altering text in an
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241 Emacs buffer. More advanced Emacs commands just make things easier. But
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242 to keep any text permanently you must put it in a @dfn{file}. Files are
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243 named units of text which are stored by the operating system and which
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244 you can retrieve by name. To look at or use the contents of a file in
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245 any way, including editing the file with Emacs, you must specify the
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246 file name.
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247
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248 Consider a file named @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. To begin editing
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249 this file from Emacs, type:
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250
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251 @example
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252 C-x C-f /usr/rms/foo.c @key{RET}
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253 @end example
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254
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255 @noindent
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256 The file name is given as an @dfn{argument} to the command @kbd{C-x
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257 C-f} (@code{find-file}). The command uses the @dfn{minibuffer} to
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258 read the argument. You have to type @key{RET} to terminate the argument
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259 (@pxref{Minibuffer}).@refill
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260
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261 You can also use the @b{Open...} menu item from the @b{File} menu, then
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262 type the name of the file to the prompt.
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263
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264 Emacs obeys the command by @dfn{visiting} the file: it creates a
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265 buffer, copies the contents of the file into the buffer, and then
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266 displays the buffer for you to edit. You can make changes in the
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267 buffer, and then @dfn{save} the file by typing @kbd{C-x C-s}
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268 (@code{save-buffer}) or choosing @b{Save Buffer} from the @b{File} menu.
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269 This makes the changes permanent by copying the altered contents of the
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270 buffer back into the file @file{/usr/rms/foo.c}. Until then, the
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271 changes are only inside your Emacs buffer, and the file @file{foo.c} is
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272 not changed.@refill
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273
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274 To create a file, visit the file with @kbd{C-x C-f} as if it already
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275 existed or choose @b{Open...} from the @b{File} menu and provide the
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276 name for the new file in the minibuffer. Emacs will create an empty
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277 buffer in which you can insert the text you want to put in the file.
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278 When you save the buffer with @kbd{C-x C-s}, or by choosing @b{Save
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279 Buffer} from the @b{File} menu, the file is created.
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280
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281 To learn more about using files, @pxref{Files}.
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282
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283 @section Help
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284
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285 If you forget what a key does, you can use the Help character
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286 (@kbd{C-h}) to find out: Type @kbd{C-h k} followed by the key you want
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287 to know about. For example, @kbd{C-h k C-n} tells you what @kbd{C-n}
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288 does. @kbd{C-h} is a prefix key; @kbd{C-h k} is just one of its
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289 subcommands (the command @code{describe-key}). The other subcommands of
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290 @kbd{C-h} provide different kinds of help. Type @kbd{C-h} three times
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291 to get a description of all the help facilities. @xref{Help}.@refill
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292
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293 @menu
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294 * Blank Lines:: Commands to make or delete blank lines.
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295 * Continuation Lines:: Lines too wide for the frame.
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296 * Position Info:: What page, line, row, or column is point on?
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297 * Arguments:: Numeric arguments for repeating a command.
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298 @end menu
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299
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300 @node Blank Lines, Continuation Lines, Basic, Basic
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301 @section Blank Lines
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302
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303 Here are special commands and techniques for entering and removing
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304 blank lines.
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305
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306 @c widecommands
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307 @table @kbd
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308 @item C-o
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309 Insert one or more blank lines after the cursor (@code{open-line}).
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310 @item C-x C-o
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311 Delete all but one of many consecutive blank lines
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312 (@code{delete-blank-lines}).
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313 @end table
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314
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315 @kindex C-o
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316 @kindex C-x C-o
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317 @cindex blank lines
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318 @findex open-line
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319 @findex delete-blank-lines
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320 When you want to insert a new line of text before an existing line,
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321 you just type the new line of text, followed by @key{RET}. If you
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322 prefer to create a blank line first and then insert the desired text,
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323 use the key @kbd{C-o} (@code{open-line}), which inserts a newline after
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324 point but leaves point in front of the newline. Then type
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325 the text into the new line. @kbd{C-o F O O} has the same effect as
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326 @kbd{F O O @key{RET}}, except for the final location of point.
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327
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328 To create several blank lines, type @kbd{C-o} several times, or
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329 give @kbd{C-o} an argument indicating how many blank lines to create.
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330 @xref{Arguments}, for more information.
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331
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332 If you have many blank lines in a row and want to get rid of them, use
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333 @kbd{C-x C-o} (@code{delete-blank-lines}). If point is on a blank
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334 line which is adjacent to at least one other blank line, @kbd{C-x C-o}
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335 deletes all but one of the blank lines.
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336 If point is on a blank line with no other adjacent blank line, the
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337 sole blank line is deleted. If point is on a non-blank
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338 line, @kbd{C-x C-o} deletes any blank lines following that non-blank
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339 line.
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340
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341 @node Continuation Lines, Position Info, Blank Lines, Basic
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342 @section Continuation Lines
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343
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344 @cindex continuation line
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345 If you add too many characters to one line without breaking with a
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346 @key{RET}, the line grows to occupy two (or more) screen lines, with a
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347 curved arrow at the extreme right margin of all but the last line. The
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348 curved arrow indicates that the following screen line is not really a
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349 distinct line in the text, but just the @dfn{continuation} of a line too
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350 long to fit the frame. You can use Auto Fill mode (@pxref{Filling})
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351 to have Emacs insert newlines automatically when a line gets too long.
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352
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353
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354 @vindex truncate-lines
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355 @cindex truncation
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356 Instead of continuation, long lines can be displayed by @dfn{truncation}.
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357 This means that all the characters that do not fit in the width of the
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358 frame or window do not appear at all. They remain in the buffer,
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359 temporarily invisible. Three diagonal dots in the last column (instead of
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360 the curved arrow inform you that truncation is in effect.
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361
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362 To turn off continuation for a particular buffer, set the
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363 variable @code{truncate-lines} to non-@code{nil} in that buffer.
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364 Truncation instead of continuation also happens whenever horizontal
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365 scrolling is in use, and optionally whenever side-by-side windows are in
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366 use (@pxref{Windows}). Altering the value of @code{truncate-lines} makes
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367 it local to the current buffer; until that time, the default value is in
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368 effect. The default is initially @code{nil}. @xref{Locals}.@refill
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369
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370 @node Position Info, Arguments, Continuation Lines, Basic
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371 @section Cursor Position Information
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372
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373 If you are accustomed to other display editors, you may be surprised
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374 that Emacs does not always display the page number or line number of
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375 point in the mode line. In Emacs, this information is only rarely
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376 needed, and a number of commands are available to compute and print it.
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377 Since text is stored in a way that makes it difficult to compute the
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378 information, it is not displayed all the time.
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379
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380 @table @kbd
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381 @item M-x what-page
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382 Print page number of point, and line number within page.
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383 @item M-x what-line
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384 Print line number of point in the buffer.
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385 @item M-=
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386 Print number of lines and characters in the current region
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387 (@code{count-lines-region}).
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388 @item C-x =
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389 Print character code of character after point, character position of
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390 point, and column of point (@code{what-cursor-position}).
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391 @end table
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392
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393 @findex what-page
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394 @findex what-line
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395 @cindex line number
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396 @cindex page number
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397 @kindex M-=
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398 @findex count-lines-region
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399
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400 There are several commands for printing line numbers:
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401 @itemize @bullet
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402 @item
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403 @kbd{M-x what-line} counts lines from the beginning of the file and
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404 prints the line number point is on. The first line of the file is line
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405 number 1. You can use these numbers as arguments to @kbd{M-x
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406 goto-line}.
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407 @item
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408 @kbd{M-x what-page} counts pages from the beginning of the file, and
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409 counts lines within the page, printing both of them. @xref{Pages}, for
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410 the command @kbd{C-x l}, which counts the lines in the current page.
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411 @item
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412 @kbd{M-=} (@code{count-lines-region}) prints the number of lines in
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413 the region (@pxref{Mark}).
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414 @end itemize
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415
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416 @kindex C-x =
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417 @findex what-cursor-position
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418 The command @kbd{C-x =} (@code{what-cursor-position}) provides
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419 information about point and about the column the cursor is in.
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420 It prints a line in the echo area that looks like this:
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421
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422 @example
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423 Char: x (0170) point=65986 of 563027(12%) column 44
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424 @end example
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425
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426 @noindent
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427 (In fact, this is the output produced when point is before @samp{column 44}
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428 in the example.)
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429
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430 The two values after @samp{Char:} describe the character following point,
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431 first by showing it and second by giving its octal character code.
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432
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433 @samp{point=} is followed by the position of point expressed as a character
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434 count. The front of the buffer counts as position 1, one character later
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435 as 2, and so on. The next, larger number is the total number of characters
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436 in the buffer. Afterward in parentheses comes the position expressed as a
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437 percentage of the total size.
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438
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439 @samp{column} is followed by the horizontal position of point, in columns
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440 from the left edge of the window.
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441
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442 If the buffer has been narrowed, making some of the text at the
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443 beginning and the end temporarily invisible, @kbd{C-x =} prints
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444 additional text describing the current visible range. For example, it
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445 might say:
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446
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447 @smallexample
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448 Char: x (0170) point=65986 of 563025(12%) <65102 - 68533> column 44
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449 @end smallexample
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450
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451 @noindent
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452 where the two extra numbers give the smallest and largest character position
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453 that point is allowed to assume. The characters between those two positions
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454 are the visible ones. @xref{Narrowing}.
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455
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456 If point is at the end of the buffer (or the end of the visible part),
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457 @kbd{C-x =} omits any description of the character after point.
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458 The output looks like
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459
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460 @smallexample
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461 point=563026 of 563025(100%) column 0
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462 @end smallexample
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463
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464 @node Arguments,, Position Info, Basic
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465 @section Numeric Arguments
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466 @cindex numeric arguments
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467
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468 Any Emacs command can be given a @dfn{numeric argument}. Some commands
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469 interpret the argument as a repetition count. For example, giving an
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470 argument of ten to the key @kbd{C-f} (the command @code{forward-char}, move
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471 forward one character) moves forward ten characters. With these commands,
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472 no argument is equivalent to an argument of one. Negative arguments are
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473 allowed. Often they tell a command to move or act backwards.
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474
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475 @kindex M-1
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476 @kindex M-@t{-}
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477 @findex digit-argument
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478 @findex negative-argument
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479 If your keyboard has a @key{META} key (labelled with a diamond on
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480 Sun-type keyboards and labelled @samp{Alt} on some other keyboards), the
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481 easiest way to specify a numeric argument is to type digits and/or a
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2
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482 minus sign while holding down the @key{META} key. For example,
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0
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483 @example
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484 M-5 C-n
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485 @end example
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486 @noindent
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487 moves down five lines. The characters @kbd{Meta-1}, @kbd{Meta-2}, and
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488 so on, as well as @kbd{Meta--}, do this because they are keys bound to
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489 commands (@code{digit-argument} and @code{negative-argument}) that are
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490 defined to contribute to an argument for the next command.
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491
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492 @kindex C-u
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493 @findex universal-argument
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494 Another way of specifying an argument is to use the @kbd{C-u}
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495 (@code{universal-argument}) command followed by the digits of the argument.
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496 With @kbd{C-u}, you can type the argument digits without holding
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497 down shift keys. To type a negative argument, start with a minus sign.
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498 Just a minus sign normally means @minus{}1. @kbd{C-u} works on all terminals.
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499
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500 @kbd{C-u} followed by a character which is neither a digit nor a minus
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501 sign has the special meaning of ``multiply by four''. It multiplies the
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502 argument for the next command by four. @kbd{C-u} twice multiplies it by
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503 sixteen. Thus, @kbd{C-u C-u C-f} moves forward sixteen characters. This
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504 is a good way to move forward ``fast'', since it moves about 1/5 of a line
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|
505 in the usual size frame. Other useful combinations are @kbd{C-u C-n},
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506 @kbd{C-u C-u C-n} (move down a good fraction of a frame), @kbd{C-u C-u
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507 C-o} (make ``a lot'' of blank lines), and @kbd{C-u C-k} (kill four
|
|
|
508 lines).@refill
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509
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510 Some commands care only about whether there is an argument and not about
|
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511 its value. For example, the command @kbd{M-q} (@code{fill-paragraph}) with
|
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512 no argument fills text; with an argument, it justifies the text as well.
|
|
|
513 (@xref{Filling}, for more information on @kbd{M-q}.) Just @kbd{C-u} is a
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514 handy way of providing an argument for such commands.
|
|
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515
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516 Some commands use the value of the argument as a repeat count, but do
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517 something peculiar when there is no argument. For example, the command
|
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|
518 @kbd{C-k} (@code{kill-line}) with argument @var{n} kills @var{n} lines,
|
|
|
519 including their terminating newlines. But @kbd{C-k} with no argument is
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|
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520 special: it kills the text up to the next newline, or, if point is right at
|
|
|
521 the end of the line, it kills the newline itself. Thus, two @kbd{C-k}
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522 commands with no arguments can kill a non-blank line, just like @kbd{C-k}
|
|
|
523 with an argument of one. (@xref{Killing}, for more information on
|
|
|
524 @kbd{C-k}.)@refill
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|
525
|
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526 A few commands treat a plain @kbd{C-u} differently from an ordinary
|
|
|
527 argument. A few others may treat an argument of just a minus sign
|
|
|
528 differently from an argument of @minus{}1. These unusual cases will be
|
|
|
529 described when they come up; they are always to make the individual
|
|
|
530 command more convenient to use.
|
|
|
531
|
|
|
532 @c section Autoarg Mode
|
|
|
533 @ignore
|
|
|
534 @cindex autoarg mode
|
|
|
535 Users of ASCII keyboards may prefer to use Autoarg mode. Autoarg mode
|
|
|
536 means that you don't need to type @kbd{C-u} to specify a numeric argument.
|
|
|
537 Instead, you type just the digits. Digits followed by an ordinary
|
|
|
538 inserting character are themselves inserted, but digits followed by an
|
|
|
539 Escape or Control character serve as an argument to it and are not
|
|
|
540 inserted. A minus sign can also be part of an argument, but only at the
|
|
|
541 beginning. If you type a minus sign following some digits, both the digits
|
|
|
542 and the minus sign are inserted.
|
|
|
543
|
|
|
544 To use Autoarg mode, set the variable Autoarg Mode nonzero.
|
|
|
545 @xref{Variables}.
|
|
|
546
|
|
|
547 Autoargument digits echo at the bottom of the frame; the first
|
|
|
548 nondigit causes them to be inserted or uses them as an argument. To
|
|
|
549 insert some digits and nothing else, you must follow them with a Space
|
|
|
550 and then rub it out. @kbd{C-g} cancels the digits, while Delete inserts
|
|
|
551 them all and then rubs out the last.
|
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|
552 @end ignore
|
