This manual represents 10 bit characters in a standard way. If you have a character A, then that character with the CONTROL bit set is written as C-A. That character with the META bit set is written as M-A. If both bits are set, it is written as C-M-A.
Terminals (usually) cannot deal directly deal with the 10 bit
character set.
Characters with the flag bits set are entered by prefixing the
desired character with another character.
To get a character with the CONTROL bit set,
prefix the character with Control-^ (the
word Control here, and in the next few examples, means the key marked
Control or CTRL on the ASCII keyboard).
To get a character with the
META bit set, prefix the character
with Control-[, Escape, or ESC.
To get a character with the CONTROL
and META bits set, prefix the character
with Control-\.
Those of you who understand ASCII are probably asking what you get
if you prefix a character with Control-].
This character is not a prefix;
it is reserved for future use as an ``exit from recursive editing level''
command.
CONTROL characters are very important, so there is a shorthand way
of typing them.
Characters between Control-@ and Control-Z are mapped
to the characters @ through Z with the CONTROL bit set.
Characters between
Control-a and Control-z are mapped to
the characters A through Z
with the CONTROL bit set.
Most of the time Control-X and C-X are the same.