Command Arguments

All commands can be given a numeric argument. Most commands use this argument as a repeat count. Commands can tell if an argument has been supplied, and will use a default argument if no user argument is present. Usually, the default argument is 1.

A C-U always introduces an argument.

If a numeric argument is just a string of C-U characters, then the value of the argument is 4(numberof$\scriptstyle \sf C-U$characters). Therefore C-U is 4, C-U C-U is 16, C-U C-U C-U is 256, and so on. Some commands care if an argument is present, but don't look at its value; the C-U character is a good way to say ``here is an argument''.

If there is a signed decimal number after the string of C-U characters it specifies the value of the argument. In this case the number of C-U characters does not matter. An argument of 10 can be represented by C-U 10, C-U C-U 10, or even C-U C-U C-U C-U 10.