@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@node Edit, Customization Basics, Windows and Menus, Top
@chapter Basic Editing Commands

@kindex C-h t
@findex help-with-tutorial
  This chapter will introduce you to some basic editing commands. You
can also learn the basic editing commands by typing @kbd{Control-h t}
(@code{help-with-tutorial} OR by selecting @b{Emacs Tutorial} from the
@b{Help} menu on the menu bar. Most of the Emacs commands will use the
@key{CONTROL} key or the @key{META} key. The following abbreviations 
will be used for the @key{CONTROL} and @key{META} key in this manual:

@table @kbd
@item C-<chr>
This means that you should hold down the @key{CONTROL} key while typing
@kbd{<chr>}. For example, if the command is @kbd{C-g}, you should hold
the @key{CONTROL} key and type @key{g}. 
@item M-<chr>
This means that you should hold down the @kbd{META} key while typing
@kbd{<chr>}. If there is no @kbd{META} key on your keyboard, use the
@kbd{ESC} key instead. For example, if the command is @kbd{M-x}, then
type @kbd{ESC}, release it and type @kbd{x}.
@end table

  The following abbreviations will be used for some other keys:

@table @key
@item SPC
Space bar. 
@item RET
Return key.
@item LFD
Linefeed key.
@item TAB
Tab. 
@item ESC
Escape.
@item SFT
Shift. 
@end table

@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@menu
* Insert::                      Insert text in Emacs by simply typing at
                                the cursor position.
* Cursor Position::             Moving Around the cursor in the buffer,
* Erase::                       Different commands for erasing text 
* Numeric Argument::            Giving Numeric Arguments to commands
* Undo::                        Undoing Changes made by mistake
@end menu

@node Insert, Cursor Position, Edit, Edit
@section Inserting Text

@cindex insertion
@cindex overstrike
   To insert printing characters into the text you are editing, just
type them. Emacs will automatically insert the characters that you type
into the buffer at the cursor. The cursor moves forward, but if you
prefer to have text characters replace (overwrite) existing text
characters, you can enable the @b{Overstrike} option from the
@b{Options} menu in the menu bar. 

@kindex DEL
@cindex deletion
   To @dfn{delete} text you have just inserted, use @key{DEL}.
@key{DEL} deletes the character @var{before} the cursor (not the one
that the cursor is on top of or under; that is the character @var{after}
the cursor).  The cursor and all characters after it move backwards.
Therefore, if you type a printing character and then type @key{DEL},
they cancel out.

  Unfortunately, computer and keyboard manufacturers differ over the
name of the @key{DEL} key.  This is the key at the far right of the row
of keys containing the digits, usually immediately above the @kbd{RET}
key.  It is usually labelled ``Backspace'' or ``Delete'' or some
abbreviation.  Modern keyboards will often have another key labelled
``Del'' in the @emph{edit keypad} (along with an ``Ins'' key and perhaps
some others).  This is not the @kbd{DEL} key referred to here.  It
usually deletes @emph{forward} in Emacs.

@kindex RET
@cindex newline
@findex auto-fill-mode
   To end a line and start typing a new one, type @key{RET}.  On some
keyboards, this key is labelled ``Enter''.  This
inserts a newline character in the buffer.  If point is in the middle of
a line, @key{RET} splits the line.  Typing @key{DEL} when the cursor is
at the beginning of a line rubs out the newline before the line, thus
joining the line with the preceding line.

  Emacs automatically splits lines when they become too long, if you
turn on a special mode called @dfn{Auto Fill} mode.
@xref{Filling,,,xemacs,XEmacs User's Manual}, for information on using Auto Fill
mode.


@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@node Cursor Position, Erase, Insert, Edit
@section Moving Around
@cindex cursor control
@cindex cursor position

  The following commands will allow you to move the cursor around the
screen. The actual function names corresponding to these commands are
given in parenthesis. You can also invoke these commands by typing
@kbd{M-x <function name>}. You can do this for any command in XEmacs.

@kindex C-a
@kindex C-e
@kindex C-fx
@kindex C-b
@kindex C-n
@kindex C-p
@kindex C-v
@kindex M-v
@kindex C-t
@kindex M->
@kindex M-<
@findex beginning-of-line
@findex end-of-line
@findex forward-char
@findex backward-char
@findex next-line
@findex previous-line
@findex transpose-chars
@findex beginning-of-buffer
@findex end-of-buffer
@findex goto-char
@findex goto-line
@table @kbd
@item C-b
Move the cursor backward one character (@code{backward-char}). 
@item C-f
Move the cursor forward one character (@code{forward-char}).
@item C-p
Move the cursor up one line vertically (@code{previous-line}).
@item C-n
Move the cursor down one line vertically (@code{next-line}).
@item C-a
Move the cursor to the beginning of the line (@code{beginning-of-line}).
@item C-e
Move the cursor to the end of the line (@code{end-of-line}).
@item M-f
@findex forward-word
Move the cursor forward one word (@code{forward-word}).
@item M-b
@findex backward-word
Move the cursor backward one word (@code{backward-word}).
@item M-<
Move the cursor to the top of the buffer (@code{beginning-of-buffer}).
@item M->
Move the cursor to the end of the buffer (@code{end-of-buffer}).
@item M-x goto-char RET <number> RET
To enable this command type @kbd{M-x goto-char}, and hit @key{RETURN}
key. In the @dfn{echo area} you will see:

@example
Goto char:
@end example

@noindent
You should then type in a number right after the colon 
and hit the @kbd{RETURN} key again. After reading a number @var{n} this
command will move the cursor to character number @var{n}.
Position 1 is the beginning of the buffer. For example, if you type
@kbd{M-x goto-char RET 200 RET}, then the cursor will move to the 200th
character starting from the beginning of the buffer.

@item M-x goto-line RET <number> RET
@cindex goto-line
To enable this command type @kbd{M-x goto-line}, and hit the
@key{RETURN} key. After you see @kbd{Goto line:} in the @dfn{echo area},
type in a number @var{n} and hit @key{RETURN} key again. This command will
position the cursor on the nth line starting from the beginning of the
buffer.
@item M-x what-line RET
This command will display the current line number in the echo area.

@end table


@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@node Erase, Numeric Argument, Cursor Position, Edit
@section Erasing Text

@cindex erasing
@cindex deleting
@kindex C-d
@kindex C-k
@kindex M-d
@kindex M-DEL
@kindex M-k
@kindex M-z
@findex delete-backward-char
@findex delete-char
@findex kill-line
@findex kill-word
@findex backward-kill-word
@findex kill-sentence
@findex zap-to-char

@table @kbd
@item @key{DEL}
If you press @key{DEL} i.e. the @dfn{delete} key, it will delete the 
character before the cursor (@code{delete-backward-char}).
@item C-d
This will delete the character after the cursor (@code{delete-char}).
@item C-k
Kill to the end of the line (@code{kill-line}). If you kill the line by
mistake you can @dfn{yank} or @samp{paste} it back by typing
@kbd{C-y}. @xref{Moving Text}, for more information on yanking.
@item M-d
Kill forward to the end of the next word (@code{kill-word}).
@item M-@key{DEL}
Kill back to the beginning of the previous word
(@code{backward-kill-word}).
@item M-k
Kill to the end of current sentence (@code{kill-sentence}).
@item M-z @var{char}
Kill up to next occurrence of @var{char} (@code{zap-to-char}). To use
this command type @kbd{M-z}. You will see the following statement in the
echo area :

@example
Zap to char:
@end example

Type any char and press the @key{RET} key. For example, if you type
@samp{p} then the entire text starting from the position of the cursor
until the first occurrence of @samp{p} is killed. 
@end table


@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@node Numeric Argument, Undo, Erase, Edit
@section Giving Numeric Arguments
@cindex numeric argument
@cindex digit argument
@cindex negative argument
@kindex C-u
@kindex M-@t{-}

  Any Emacs command can be given a @dfn{numeric argument}.  Some commands
interpret the argument as a repetition count.  For example, if you want
to move forward ten characters, you could type @kbd{C-f} ten
times. However, a more efficient way to do this would be to give an
argument of ten to the key @kbd{C-f} (the command @code{forward-char}, move
forward one character). Negative arguments are also allowed. Often they tell
a command to move or act backwards. For example, if you want to move
down ten lines, type the following:
@example
C-u 10 C-n
@end example
@noindent
After you press the @kbd{C-n} key, the cursor will move ten lines
downward. You can also type:
@example
M-10 C-n
@end example
@noindent
Both @kbd{C-u} and @kbd{M-} allow you to give numeric arguments. If you
want to move ten lines backward, you can also give negative arguments, like:
@example
C-u -10 C-n
@end example
@noindent
OR you could also type:
@example
M--10 C-n
@end example
@noindent
You can obviously use @kbd{C-b} to move backward rather than giving
negative arguments to @kbd{C-n}. @xref{Numeric Arguments,,,xemacs,XEmacs
User's Manual}, for more information on numeric arguments.

@comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
@node Undo,  , Numeric Argument, Edit
@section Undoing Changes
@cindex undo
@cindex mistakes, correcting

  When you are editing a buffer, you might type something by
mistake. Emacs allows you to undo all changes you make to a buffer (but
not more than 8000 characters). Each buffer in Emacs keeps a record of
the changes made to it individually, so the undo command applies to the
current buffer. There are two undo commands:

@table @kbd
@kindex C-x u
@item C-x u
Undo one batch of changes (usually, one command's worth).
(@code{undo}). 
@item C-_
The same as above, but this command might not be obvious to type on some
keyboards so it might be better to use the above command.
@end table

  @xref{Undoing Changes,,,xemacs,XEmacs User's Manual}, for more information on
undoing changes.