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diff man/xemacs/glossary.texi @ 0:376386a54a3c r19-14
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date | Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:45:50 +0200 |
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--- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/man/xemacs/glossary.texi Mon Aug 13 08:45:50 2007 +0200 @@ -0,0 +1,765 @@ + +@node Glossary, Manifesto, Intro, Top +@unnumbered Glossary + +@table @asis +@item Abbrev +An abbrev is a text string which expands into a different text string +when present in the buffer. For example, you might define a short +word as an abbrev for a long phrase that you want to insert +frequently. @xref{Abbrevs}. + +@item Aborting +Aborting means getting out of a recursive edit (q.v.@:). You can use +the commands @kbd{C-]} and @kbd{M-x top-level} for this. +@xref{Quitting}. + +@item Auto Fill mode +Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which text you insert is +automatically broken into lines of fixed width. @xref{Filling}. + +@item Auto Saving +Auto saving means that Emacs automatically stores the contents of an +Emacs buffer in a specially-named file so the information will not be +lost if the buffer is lost due to a system error or user error. +@xref{Auto Save}. + +@item Backup File +A backup file records the contents that a file had before the current +editing session. Emacs creates backup files automatically to help you +track down or cancel changes you later regret. @xref{Backup}. + +@item Balance Parentheses +Emacs can balance parentheses manually or automatically. Manual +balancing is done by the commands to move over balanced expressions +(@pxref{Lists}). Automatic balancing is done by blinking the +parenthesis that matches one just inserted (@pxref{Matching,,Matching +Parens}). + +@item Bind +To bind a key is to change its binding (q.v.@:). @xref{Rebinding}. + +@item Binding +A key gets its meaning in Emacs by having a binding which is a +command (q.v.@:), a Lisp function that is run when the key is typed. +@xref{Commands,Binding}. Customization often involves rebinding a +character to a different command function. The bindings of all keys +are recorded in the keymaps (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}. + +@item Blank Lines +Blank lines are lines that contain only whitespace. Emacs has several +commands for operating on the blank lines in a buffer. + +@item Buffer +The buffer is the basic editing unit; one buffer corresponds to one +piece of text being edited. You can have several buffers, but at any +time you are editing only one, the `selected' buffer, though several +buffers can be visible when you are using multiple windows. @xref{Buffers}. + +@item Buffer Selection History +Emacs keeps a buffer selection history which records how recently each +Emacs buffer was selected. Emacs uses this list when choosing a buffer to +select. @xref{Buffers}. + +@item C- +@samp{C} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for Control. +@xref{Keystrokes,C-}. + +@item C-M- +@samp{C-M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for +Control-Meta. @xref{Keystrokes,C-M-}. + +@item Case Conversion +Case conversion means changing text from upper case to lower case or +vice versa. @xref{Case}, for the commands for case conversion. + +@item Characters +Characters form the contents of an Emacs buffer; also, Emacs commands +are invoked by keys (q.v.@:), which are sequences of one or more +characters. @xref{Keystrokes}. + +@item Command +A command is a Lisp function specially defined to be able to serve as a +key binding in Emacs. When you type a key (q.v.@:), Emacs looks up its +binding (q.v.@:) in the relevant keymaps (q.v.@:) to find the command to +run. @xref{Commands}. + +@item Command Name +A command name is the name of a Lisp symbol which is a command +(@pxref{Commands}). You can invoke any command by its name using +@kbd{M-x} (@pxref{M-x}). + +@item Comments +A comment is text in a program which is intended only for the people +reading the program, and is marked specially so that it will be +ignored when the program is loaded or compiled. Emacs offers special +commands for creating, aligning, and killing comments. +@xref{Comments}. + +@item Compilation +Compilation is the process of creating an executable program from +source code. Emacs has commands for compiling files of Emacs Lisp +code (@pxref{Lisp Libraries}) and programs in C and other languages +(@pxref{Compilation}). + +@item Complete Key +A complete key is a character or sequence of characters which, when typed +by the user, fully specifies one action to be performed by Emacs. For +example, @kbd{X} and @kbd{Control-f} and @kbd{Control-x m} are keys. Keys +derive their meanings from being bound (q.v.@:) to commands (q.v.@:). +Thus, @kbd{X} is conventionally bound to a command to insert @samp{X} in +the buffer; @kbd{C-x m} is conventionally bound to a command to begin +composing a mail message. @xref{Keystrokes}. + +@item Completion +When Emacs automatically fills an abbreviation for a name into the +entire name, that process is called completion. Completion is done for +minibuffer (q.v.@:) arguments when the set of possible valid inputs is +known; for example, on command names, buffer names, and file names. +Completion occurs when you type @key{TAB}, @key{SPC}, or @key{RET}. +@xref{Completion}.@refill + +@item Continuation Line +When a line of text is longer than the width of the frame, it +takes up more than one screen line when displayed. We say that the +text line is continued, and all screen lines used for it after the +first are called continuation lines. @xref{Basic,Continuation,Basic +Editing}. + +@item Control-Character +ASCII characters with octal codes 0 through 037, and also code 0177, +do not have graphic images assigned to them. These are the control +characters. Any control character can be typed by holding down the +@key{CTRL} key and typing some other character; some have special keys +on the keyboard. @key{RET}, @key{TAB}, @key{ESC}, @key{LFD}, and +@key{DEL} are all control characters. @xref{Keystrokes}.@refill + +@item Copyleft +A copyleft is a notice giving the public legal permission to redistribute +a program or other work of art. Copylefts are used by leftists to enrich +the public just as copyrights are used by rightists to gain power over +the public. + +@item Current Buffer +The current buffer in Emacs is the Emacs buffer on which most editing +commands operate. You can select any Emacs buffer as the current one. +@xref{Buffers}. + +@item Current Line +The line point is on (@pxref{Point}). + +@item Current Paragraph +The paragraph that point is in. If point is between paragraphs, the +current paragraph is the one that follows point. @xref{Paragraphs}. + +@item Current Defun +The defun (q.v.@:) that point is in. If point is between defuns, the +current defun is the one that follows point. @xref{Defuns}. + +@item Cursor +The cursor is the rectangle on the screen which indicates the position +called point (q.v.@:) at which insertion and deletion takes place. +The cursor is on or under the character that follows point. Often +people speak of `the cursor' when, strictly speaking, they mean +`point'. @xref{Basic,Cursor,Basic Editing}. + +@item Customization +Customization is making minor changes in the way Emacs works. It is +often done by setting variables (@pxref{Variables}) or by rebinding +keys (@pxref{Keymaps}). + +@item Default Argument +The default for an argument is the value that is used if you do not +specify one. When Emacs prompts you in the minibuffer for an argument, +the default argument is used if you just type @key{RET}. +@xref{Minibuffer}. + +@item Default Directory +When you specify a file name that does not start with @samp{/} or @samp{~}, +it is interpreted relative to the current buffer's default directory. +@xref{Minibuffer File,Default Directory}. + +@item Defun +A defun is a list at the top level of parenthesis or bracket structure +in a program. It is so named because most such lists in Lisp programs +are calls to the Lisp function @code{defun}. @xref{Defuns}. + +@item @key{DEL} +The @key{DEL} character runs the command that deletes one character of +text. @xref{Basic,DEL,Basic Editing}. + +@item Deletion +Deleting text means erasing it without saving it. Emacs deletes text +only when it is expected not to be worth saving (all whitespace, or +only one character). The alternative is killing (q.v.@:). +@xref{Killing,Deletion}. + +@item Deletion of Files +Deleting a file means removing it from the file system. +@xref{Misc File Ops}. + +@item Deletion of Messages +Deleting a message means flagging it to be eliminated from your mail +file. Until the mail file is expunged, you can undo this by undeleting +the message. + +@item Deletion of Frames +When working under the multi-frame X-based version of XEmacs, +you can delete individual frames using the @b{Close} menu item from the +@b{File} menu. + +@item Deletion of Windows +When you delete a subwindow of an Emacs frame, you eliminate it from +the frame. Other windows expand to use up the space. The deleted +window can never come back, but no actual text is lost. @xref{Windows}. + +@item Directory +Files in the Unix file system are grouped into file directories. +@xref{ListDir,,Directories}. + +@item Dired +Dired is the Emacs facility that displays the contents of a file +directory and allows you to ``edit the directory'', performing +operations on the files in the directory. @xref{Dired}. + +@item Disabled Command +A disabled command is one that you may not run without special +confirmation. Commands are usually disabled because they are +confusing for beginning users. @xref{Disabling}. + +@item Dribble File +A file into which Emacs writes all the characters that the user types +on the keyboard. Dribble files are used to make a record for +debugging Emacs bugs. Emacs does not make a dribble file unless you +tell it to. @xref{Bugs}. + +@item Echo Area +The area at the bottom of the Emacs frame which is used for echoing the +arguments to commands, for asking questions, and for printing brief +messages (including error messages). @xref{Echo Area}. + +@item Echoing +Echoing refers to acknowledging the receipt of commands by displaying them +(in the echo area). Emacs never echoes single-character keys; longer +keys echo only if you pause while typing them. + +@item Error +An error occurs when an Emacs command cannot execute in the current +circumstances. When an error occurs, execution of the command stops +(unless the command has been programmed to do otherwise) and Emacs +reports the error by printing an error message (q.v.). Type-ahead +is discarded. Then Emacs is ready to read another editing command. + +@item Error Messages +Error messages are single lines of output printed by Emacs when the +user asks for something impossible to do (such as killing text +forward when point is at the end of the buffer). They appear in the +echo area, accompanied by a beep. + +@item @key{ESC} +@key{ESC} is a character used as a prefix for typing Meta characters on +keyboards lacking a @key{META} key. Unlike the @key{META} key (which, +like the @key{SHIFT} key, is held down while another character is +typed), the @key{ESC} key is pressed and released, and applies to the +next character typed. + +@item Fill Prefix +The fill prefix is a string that Emacs enters at the beginning +of each line when it performs filling. It is not regarded as part of the +text to be filled. @xref{Filling}. + +@item Filling +Filling text means moving text from line to line so that all the lines +are approximately the same length. @xref{Filling}. + +@item Frame +When running Emacs on a TTY terminal, ``frame'' means the terminal's +screen. When running Emacs under X, you can have multiple frames, +each corresponding to a top-level X window and each looking like +the screen on a TTY. Each frame contains one or more non-overlapping +Emacs windows (possibly with associated scrollbars, under X), an +echo area, and (under X) possibly a menubar. + +@item Global +Global means `independent of the current environment; in effect +@*throughout Emacs'. It is the opposite of local (q.v.@:). +Examples of the use of `global' appear below. + +@item Global Abbrev +A global definition of an abbrev (q.v.@:) is effective in all major +modes that do not have local (q.v.@:) definitions for the same abbrev. +@xref{Abbrevs}. + +@item Global Keymap +The global keymap (q.v.@:) contains key bindings that are in effect +unless local key bindings in a major mode's local +keymap (q.v.@:) override them.@xref{Keymaps}. + +@item Global Substitution +Global substitution means replacing each occurrence of one string by +another string through a large amount of text. @xref{Replace}. + +@item Global Variable +The global value of a variable (q.v.@:) takes effect in all buffers +that do not have their own local (q.v.@:) values for the variable. +@xref{Variables}. + +@item Graphic Character +Graphic characters are those assigned pictorial images rather than +just names. All the non-Meta (q.v.@:) characters except for the +Control (q.v.@:) character are graphic characters. These include +letters, digits, punctuation, and spaces; they do not include +@key{RET} or @key{ESC}. In Emacs, typing a graphic character inserts +that character (in ordinary editing modes). @xref{Basic,,Basic Editing}. + +@item Grinding +Grinding means adjusting the indentation in a program to fit the +nesting structure. @xref{Indentation,Grinding}. + +@item Hardcopy +Hardcopy means printed output. Emacs has commands for making printed +listings of text in Emacs buffers. @xref{Hardcopy}. + +@item @key{HELP} +You can type @key{HELP} at any time to ask what options you have, or +to ask what any command does. @key{HELP} is really @kbd{Control-h}. +@xref{Help}. + +@item Inbox +An inbox is a file in which mail is delivered by the operating system. +Some mail handlers transfers mail from inboxes to mail files (q.v.) in +which the mail is then stored permanently or until explicitly deleted. + +@item Indentation +Indentation means blank space at the beginning of a line. Most +programming languages have conventions for using indentation to +illuminate the structure of the program, and Emacs has special +features to help you set up the correct indentation. +@xref{Indentation}. + +@item Insertion +Insertion means copying text into the buffer, either from the keyboard +or from some other place in Emacs. + +@item Justification +Justification means adding extra spaces to lines of text to make them +come exactly to a specified width. @xref{Filling,Justification}. + +@item Keyboard Macros +Keyboard macros are a way of defining new Emacs commands from +sequences of existing ones, with no need to write a Lisp program. +@xref{Keyboard Macros}. + +@item Key +A key is a sequence of characters that, when input to Emacs, specify +or begin to specify a single action for Emacs to perform. That is, +the sequence is considered a single unit. If the key is enough to +specify one action, it is a complete key (q.v.); if it is less than +enough, it is a prefix key (q.v.). @xref{Keystrokes}. + +@item Keymap +The keymap is the data structure that records the bindings (q.v.@:) of +keys to the commands that they run. For example, the keymap binds the +character @kbd{C-n} to the command function @code{next-line}. +@xref{Keymaps}. + +@item Kill Ring +The kill ring is the place where all text you have killed recently is saved. +You can re-insert any of the killed text still in the ring; this is +called yanking (q.v.@:). @xref{Yanking}. + +@item Killing +Killing means erasing text and saving it on the kill ring so it can be +yanked (q.v.@:) later. Some other systems call this ``cutting.'' +Most Emacs commands to erase text do killing, as opposed to deletion +(q.v.@:). @xref{Killing}. + +@item Killing Jobs +Killing a job (such as, an invocation of Emacs) means making it cease +to exist. Any data within it, if not saved in a file, is lost. +@xref{Exiting}. + +@item List +A list is, approximately, a text string beginning with an open +parenthesis and ending with the matching close parenthesis. In C mode +and other non-Lisp modes, groupings surrounded by other kinds of matched +delimiters appropriate to the language, such as braces, are also +considered lists. Emacs has special commands for many operations on +lists. @xref{Lists}. + +@item Local +Local means `in effect only in a particular context'; the relevant +kind of context is a particular function execution, a particular +buffer, or a particular major mode. Local is the opposite of `global' +(q.v.@:). Specific uses of `local' in Emacs terminology appear below. + +@item Local Abbrev +A local abbrev definition is effective only if a particular major mode +is selected. In that major mode, it overrides any global definition +for the same abbrev. @xref{Abbrevs}. + +@item Local Keymap +A local keymap is used in a particular major mode; the key bindings +(q.v.@:) in the current local keymap override global bindings of the +same keys. @xref{Keymaps}. + +@item Local Variable +A local value of a variable (q.v.@:) applies to only one buffer. +@xref{Locals}. + +@item M- +@kbd{M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for @key{META}, +one of the modifier keys that can accompany any character. +@xref{Keystrokes}. + +@item M-C- +@samp{M-C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for +Control-Meta; it means the same thing as @samp{C-M-}. If your +terminal lacks a real @key{META} key, you type a Control-Meta character by +typing @key{ESC} and then typing the corresponding Control character. +@xref{Keystrokes,C-M-}. + +@item M-x +@kbd{M-x} is the key which is used to call an Emacs command by name. +You use it to call commands that are not bound to keys. +@xref{M-x}. + +@item Mail +Mail means messages sent from one user to another through the computer +system, to be read at the recipient's convenience. Emacs has commands for +composing and sending mail, and for reading and editing the mail you have +received. @xref{Sending Mail}. + +@item Major Mode +The major modes are a mutually exclusive set of options each of which +configures Emacs for editing a certain sort of text. Ideally, each +programming language has its own major mode. @xref{Major Modes}. + +@item Mark +The mark points to a position in the text. It specifies one end of the +region (q.v.@:), point being the other end. Many commands operate on +the whole region, that is, all the text from point to the mark. +@xref{Mark}. + +@item Mark Ring +The mark ring is used to hold several recent previous locations of the +mark, just in case you want to move back to them. @xref{Mark Ring}. + +@item Message +See `mail'. + +@item Meta +Meta is the name of a modifier bit which a command character may have. +It is present in a character if the character is typed with the +@key{META} key held down. Such characters are given names that start +with @kbd{Meta-}. For example, @kbd{Meta-<} is typed by holding down +@key{META} and at the same time typing @kbd{<} (which itself is done, +on most terminals, by holding down @key{SHIFT} and typing @kbd{,}). +@xref{Keystrokes,Meta}. + +@item Meta Character +A Meta character is one whose character code includes the Meta bit. + +@item Minibuffer +The minibuffer is the window that Emacs displays inside the +echo area (q.v.@:) when it prompts you for arguments to commands. +@xref{Minibuffer}. + +@item Minor Mode +A minor mode is an optional feature of Emacs which can be switched on +or off independent of the major mode. Each minor mode has a +command to turn it on or off. @xref{Minor Modes}. + +@item Mode Line +The mode line is the line at the bottom of each text window (q.v.@:), +which gives status information on the buffer displayed in that window. +@xref{Mode Line}. + +@item Modified Buffer +A buffer (q.v.@:) is modified if its text has been changed since the +last time the buffer was saved (or since it was created, if it +has never been saved). @xref{Saving}. + +@item Moving Text +Moving text means erasing it from one place and inserting it in +another. This is done by killing (q.v.@:) and then yanking (q.v.@:). +@xref{Killing}. + +@item Named Mark +A named mark is a register (q.v.@:) in its role of recording a +location in text so that you can move point to that location. +@xref{Registers}. + +@item Narrowing +Narrowing means creating a restriction (q.v.@:) that limits editing in +the current buffer to only a part of the text in the buffer. Text +outside that part is inaccessible to the user until the boundaries are +widened again, but it is still there, and saving the file saves the +invisible text. @xref{Narrowing}. + +@item Newline +@key{LFD} characters in the buffer terminate lines of text and are +called newlines. @xref{Keystrokes,Newline}. + +@item Numeric Argument +A numeric argument is a number, specified before a command, to change +the effect of the command. Often the numeric argument serves as a +repeat count. @xref{Arguments}. + +@item Option +An option is a variable (q.v.@:) that allows you to customize +Emacs by giving it a new value. @xref{Variables}. + +@item Overwrite Mode +Overwrite mode is a minor mode. When it is enabled, ordinary text +characters replace the existing text after point rather than pushing +it to the right. @xref{Minor Modes}. + +@item Page +A page is a unit of text, delimited by formfeed characters (ASCII +Control-L, code 014) coming at the beginning of a line. Some Emacs +commands are provided for moving over and operating on pages. +@xref{Pages}. + +@item Paragraphs +Paragraphs are the medium-size unit of English text. There are +special Emacs commands for moving over and operating on paragraphs. +@xref{Paragraphs}. + +@item Parsing +We say that Emacs parses words or expressions in the text being +edited. Really, all it knows how to do is find the other end of a +word or expression. @xref{Syntax}. + +@item Point +Point is the place in the buffer at which insertion and deletion +occur. Point is considered to be between two characters, not at one +character. The terminal's cursor (q.v.@:) indicates the location of +point. @xref{Basic,Point}. + +@item Prefix Key +A prefix key is a key (q.v.@:) whose sole function is to introduce a +set of multi-character keys. @kbd{Control-x} is an example of a prefix +key; any two-character sequence starting with @kbd{C-x} is also +a legitimate key. @xref{Keystrokes}. + +@item Prompt +A prompt is text printed to ask the user for input. Printing a prompt +is called prompting. Emacs prompts always appear in the echo area +(q.v.@:). One kind of prompting happens when the minibuffer is used +to read an argument (@pxref{Minibuffer}); the echoing which happens +when you pause in the middle of typing a multi-character key is also a +kind of prompting (@pxref{Echo Area}). + +@item Quitting +Quitting means cancelling a partially typed command or a running +command, using @kbd{C-g}. @xref{Quitting}. + +@item Quoting +Quoting means depriving a character of its usual special significance. +In Emacs this is usually done with @kbd{Control-q}. What constitutes special +significance depends on the context and on convention. For example, +an ``ordinary'' character as an Emacs command inserts itself; so in +this context, a special character is any character that does not +normally insert itself (such as @key{DEL}, for example), and quoting +it makes it insert itself as if it were not special. Not all contexts +allow quoting. @xref{Basic,Quoting,Basic Editing}. + +@item Read-only Buffer +A read-only buffer is one whose text you are not allowed to change. +Normally Emacs makes buffers read-only when they contain text which +has a special significance to Emacs, such asDired buffers. +Visiting a file that is write-protected also makes a read-only buffer. +@xref{Buffers}. + +@item Recursive Editing Level +A recursive editing level is a state in which part of the execution of +a command involves asking the user to edit some text. This text may +or may not be the same as the text to which the command was applied. +The mode line indicates recursive editing levels with square brackets +(@samp{[} and @samp{]}). @xref{Recursive Edit}. + +@item Redisplay +Redisplay is the process of correcting the image on the screen to +correspond to changes that have been made in the text being edited. +@xref{Frame,Redisplay}. + +@item Regexp +See `regular expression'. + +@item Region +The region is the text between point (q.v.@:) and the mark (q.v.@:). +Many commands operate on the text of the region. @xref{Mark,Region}. + +@item Registers +Registers are named slots in which text or buffer positions or +rectangles can be saved for later use. @xref{Registers}. + +@item Regular Expression +A regular expression is a pattern that can match various text strings; +for example, @samp{l[0-9]+} matches @samp{l} followed by one or more +digits. @xref{Regexps}. + +@item Replacement +See `global substitution'. + +@item Restriction +A buffer's restriction is the amount of text, at the beginning or the +end of the buffer, that is temporarily invisible and inaccessible. +Giving a buffer a nonzero amount of restriction is called narrowing +(q.v.). @xref{Narrowing}. + +@item @key{RET} +@key{RET} is the character than runs the command to insert a +newline into the text. It is also used to terminate most arguments +read in the minibuffer (q.v.@:). @xref{Keystrokes,Return}. + +@item Saving +Saving a buffer means copying its text into the file that was visited +(q.v.@:) in that buffer. To actually change a file you have edited in +Emacs, you have to save it. @xref{Saving}. + +@item Scrolling +Scrolling means shifting the text in the Emacs window to make a +different part ot the buffer visible. @xref{Display,Scrolling}. + +@item Searching +Searching means moving point to the next occurrence of a specified +string. @xref{Search}. + +@item Selecting +Selecting a buffer means making it the current (q.v.@:) buffer. +@xref{Buffers,Selecting}. + +@item Self-documentation +Self-documentation is the feature of Emacs which can tell you what any +command does, or can give you a list of all commands related to a topic +you specify. You ask for self-documentation with the help character, +@kbd{C-h}. @xref{Help}. + +@item Sentences +Emacs has commands for moving by or killing by sentences. +@xref{Sentences}. + +@item Sexp +An sexp (short for `s-expression,' itself short for `symbolic +expression') is the basic syntactic unit of Lisp +in its textual form: either a list, or Lisp atom. Many Emacs commands +operate on sexps. The term `sexp' is generalized to languages other +than Lisp to mean a syntactically recognizable expression. +@xref{Lists,Sexps}. + +@item Simultaneous Editing +Simultaneous editing means two users modifying the same file at once. +If simultaneous editing is not detected, you may lose your +work. Emacs detects all cases of simultaneous editing and warns the +user to investigate them. @xref{Interlocking,,Simultaneous Editing}. + +@item String +A string is a kind of Lisp data object which contains a sequence of +characters. Many Emacs variables are intended to have strings as +values. The Lisp syntax for a string consists of the characters in +the string with a @samp{"} before and another @samp{"} after. Write a +@samp{"} that is part of the string as @samp{\"} and a +@samp{\} that is part of the string as @samp{\\}. You can include all +other characters, including newline, just by writing +them inside the string. You can also include escape sequences as in C, such as +@samp{\n} for newline or @samp{\241} using an octal character code. + +@item String Substitution +See `global substitution'. + +@item Syntax Table +The syntax table tells Emacs which characters are part of a word, +which characters balance each other like parentheses, etc. +@xref{Syntax}. + +@item Tag Table +A tag table is a file that serves as an index to the function +definitions in one or more other files. @xref{Tags}. + +@item Termscript File +A termscript file contains a record of all characters Emacs sent to +the terminal. It is used for tracking down bugs in Emacs redisplay. +Emacs does not make a termscript file unless explicitly instructed to do +so. +@xref{Bugs}. + +@item Text +Text has two meanings (@pxref{Text}): + +@itemize @bullet +@item +Data consisting of a sequence of characters, as opposed to binary +numbers, images, graphics commands, executable programs, and the like. +The contents of an Emacs buffer are always text in this sense. +@item +Data consisting of written human language, as opposed to programs, +or something that follows the stylistic conventions of human language. +@end itemize + +@item Top Level +Top level is the normal state of Emacs, in which you are editing the +text of the file you have visited. You are at top level whenever you +are not in a recursive editing level (q.v.@:) or the minibuffer +(q.v.@:), and not in the middle of a command. You can get back to top +level by aborting (q.v.@:) and quitting (q.v.@:). @xref{Quitting}. + +@item Transposition +Transposing two units of text means putting each one into the place +formerly occupied by the other. There are Emacs commands to transpose +two adjacent characters, words, sexps (q.v.@:), or lines +(@pxref{Transpose}). + +@item Truncation +Truncating text lines in the display means leaving out any text on a +line that does not fit within the right margin of the window +displaying it. See also `continuation line'. +@xref{Basic,Truncation,Basic Editing}. + +@item Undoing +Undoing means making your previous editing go in reverse, bringing +back the text that existed earlier in the editing session. +@xref{Undo}. + +@item Variable +A variable is Lisp object that can store an arbitrary value. Emacs uses +some variables for internal purposes, and has others (known as `options' +(q.v.@:)) you can set to control the behavior of Emacs. The variables +used in Emacs that you are likely to be interested in are listed in the +Variables Index of this manual. @xref{Variables}, for information on +variables. + +@item Visiting +Visiting a file means loading its contents into a buffer (q.v.@:) +where they can be edited. @xref{Visiting}. + +@item Whitespace +Whitespace is any run of consecutive formatting characters (spaces, +tabs, newlines, and backspaces). + +@item Widening +Widening is removing any restriction (q.v.@:) on the current buffer; +it is the opposite of narrowing (q.v.@:). @xref{Narrowing}. + +@item Window +Emacs divides the frame into one or more windows, each of which can +display the contents of one buffer (q.v.@:) at any time. +@xref{Frame}, for basic information on how Emacs uses the frame. +@xref{Windows}, for commands to control the use of windows. Note that if +you are running Emacs under X, terminology can be confusing: Each Emacs +frame occupies a separate X window and can, in turn, be divided into +different subwindows. + +@item Word Abbrev +Synonymous with `abbrev'. + +@item Word Search +Word search is searching for a sequence of words, considering the +punctuation between them as insignificant. @xref{Word Search}. + +@item Yanking +Yanking means reinserting text previously killed. It can be used to +undo a mistaken kill, or for copying or moving text. Some other +systems call this ``pasting''. @xref{Yanking}. +@end table