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This is Info file ../../info/xemacs.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.63 from the input file xemacs.texi. This file documents the XEmacs editor. Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1988 Richard M. Stallman. Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Lucid, Inc. Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Copyright (C) 1995 Amdahl Corporation. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" are included exactly as in the original, and provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that the sections entitled "The GNU Manifesto", "Distribution" and "GNU General Public License" may be included in a translation approved by the author instead of in the original English. File: xemacs.info, Node: M-x, Next: Help, Prev: Minibuffer, Up: Top Running Commands by Name ************************ The Emacs commands that are used often or that must be quick to type are bound to keys--short sequences of characters--for convenient use. Other Emacs commands that are used more rarely are not bound to keys; to run them, you must refer to them by name. A command name consists, by convention, of one or more words, separated by hyphens: for example, `auto-fill-mode' or `manual-entry'. The use of English words makes the command name easier to remember than a key made up of obscure characters, even though it results in more characters to type. You can run any command by name, even if it can be run by keys as well. To run a command by name, start with `M-x', then type the command name, and finish with RET. `M-x' uses the minibuffer to read the command name. RET exits the minibuffer and runs the command. Emacs uses the minibuffer for reading input for many different purposes; on this occasion, the string `M-x' is displayed at the beginning of the minibuffer as a "prompt" to remind you that your input should be the name of a command to be run. *Note Minibuffer::, for full information on the features of the minibuffer. You can use completion to enter a command name. For example, to invoke the command `forward-char', type: M-x forward-char RET or M-x fo TAB c RET After you type in `M-x fo TAB' emacs will give you a possible list of completions from which you can choose. Note that `forward-char' is the same command that you invoke with the key `C-f'. You can call any command (interactively callable function) defined in Emacs by its name using `M-x' regardless of whether or not any keys are bound to it. If you type `C-g' while Emacs reads the command name, you cancel the `M-x' command and get out of the minibuffer, ending up at top level. To pass a numeric argument to a command you are invoking with `M-x', specify the numeric argument before the `M-x'. `M-x' passes the argument along to the function that it calls. The argument value appears in the prompt while the command name is being read. You can use the command `M-x interactive' to specify a way of parsing arguments for interactive use of a function. For example, write: (defun foo (arg) "Doc string" (interactive "p") ...use arg...) to make `arg' be the prefix argument when `foo' is called as a command. The call to `interactive' is actually a declaration rather than a function; it tells `call-interactively' how to read arguments to pass to the function. When actually called, `interactive' returns `nil'. The argument of INTERACTIVE is usually a string containing a code letter followed by a prompt. Some code letters do not use I/O to get the argument and do not need prompts. To prompt for multiple arguments, you must provide a code letter, its prompt, a newline, and another code letter, and so forth. If the argument is not a string, it is evaluated to get a list of arguments to pass to the function. If you do not provide an argument to `interactive', no arguments are passed when calling interactively. Available code letters are: `a' Function name: symbol with a function definition `b' Name of existing buffer `B' Name of buffer, possibly nonexistent `c' Character `C' Command name: symbol with interactive function definition `d' Value of point as number (does not do I/O) `D' Directory name `e' Last mouse event `f' Existing file name `F' Possibly nonexistent file name `k' Key sequence (string) `m' Value of mark as number (does not do I/O) `n' Number read using minibuffer `N' Prefix arg converted to number, or if none, do like code `n' `p' Prefix arg converted to number (does not do I/O) `P' Prefix arg in raw form (does not do I/O) `r' Region: point and mark as two numeric arguments, smallest first (does not do I/O) `s' Any string `S' Any symbol `v' Variable name: symbol that is `user-variable-p' `x' Lisp expression read but not evaluated `X' Lisp expression read and evaluated In addition, if the string begins with `*', an error is signaled if the buffer is read-only. This happens before reading any arguments. If the string begins with `@', the window the mouse is over is selected before anything else is done. You may use both `@' and `*'; they are processed in the order that they appear. Normally, when describing a command that is run by name, we omit the RET that is needed to terminate the name. Thus we may refer to `M-x auto-fill-mode' rather than `M-x auto-fill-mode' RET. We mention the RET only when it it necessary to emphasize its presence, for example, when describing a sequence of input that contains a command name and arguments that follow it. `M-x' is defined to run the command `execute-extended-command', which is responsible for reading the name of another command and invoking it. File: xemacs.info, Node: Help, Next: Mark, Prev: M-x, Up: Top Help **** Emacs provides extensive help features which revolve around a single character, `C-h'. `C-h' is a prefix key that is used only for documentation-printing commands. The characters you can type after `C-h' are called "help options". One help option is `C-h'; you use it to ask for help about using `C-h'. `C-h C-h' prints a list of the possible help options, and then asks you to type the desired option. It prompts with the string: A, B, C, F, I, K, L, M, N, S, T, V, W, C-c, C-d, C-n, C-w or C-h for more help: You should type one of those characters. Typing a third `C-h' displays a description of what the options mean; Emacs still waits for you to type an option. To cancel, type `C-g'. Here is a summary of the defined help commands. `C-h a STRING RET' Display a list of commands whose names contain STRING (`command- apropos'). `C-h b' Display a table of all key bindings currently in effect, with local bindings of the current major mode first, followed by all global bindings (`describe-bindings'). `C-h c KEY' Print the name of the command that KEY runs (`describe-key- briefly'). `c' is for `character'. For more extensive information on KEY, use `C-h k'. `C-h f FUNCTION RET' Display documentation on the Lisp function named FUNCTION (`describe-function'). Note that commands are Lisp functions, so a command name may be used. `C-h i' Run Info, the program for browsing documentation files (`info'). The complete Emacs manual is available online in Info. `C-h k KEY' Display name and documentation of the command KEY runs (`describe-key'). `C-h l' Display a description of the last 100 characters you typed (`view-lossage'). `C-h m' Display documentation of the current major mode (`describe-mode'). `C-h n' Display documentation of Emacs changes, most recent first (`view-emacs-news'). `C-h p' Display a table of all mouse bindings currently in effect now, with local bindings of the current major mode first, followed by all global bindings (`describe-pointer'). `C-h s' Display current contents of the syntax table, plus an explanation of what they mean (`describe-syntax'). `C-h t' Display the Emacs tutorial (`help-with-tutorial'). `C-h v VAR RET' Display the documentation of the Lisp variable VAR (`describe- variable'). `C-h w COMMAND RET' Print which keys run the command named COMMAND (`where-is'). `M-x apropos REGEXP' Show all symbols whose names contain matches for REGEXP. Documentation for a Key ======================= The most basic `C-h' options are `C-h c' (`describe-key-briefly') and `C-h k' (`describe-key'). `C-h c KEY' prints the name of the command that KEY is bound to in the echo area. For example, `C-h c C-f' prints `forward-char'. Since command names are chosen to describe what the command does, using this option is a good way to get a somewhat cryptic description of what KEY does. `C-h k KEY' is similar to `C-h c' but gives more information. It displays the documentation string of the function KEY is bound to as well as its name. KEY is a string or vector of events. When called interactively, KEY may also be a menu selection. This information does not usually fit into the echo area, so a window is used for the display. Help by Command or Variable Name ================================ `C-h f' (`describe-function') reads the name of a Lisp function using the minibuffer, then displays that function's documentation string in a window. Since commands are Lisp functions, you can use the argument FUNCTION to get the documentation of a command that you know by name. For example, C-h f auto-fill-mode RET displays the documentation for `auto-fill-mode'. Using `C-h f' is the only way to see the documentation of a command that is not bound to any key, that is, a command you would normally call using `M-x'. If the variable `describe-function-show-arglist' is `t', `describe-function' shows its arglist if the FUNCTION is not an autoload function. `C-h f' is also useful for Lisp functions you are planning to use in a Lisp program. For example, if you have just written the code `(make-vector len)' and want to make sure you are using `make-vector' properly, type `C-h f make-vector RET'. Because `C-h f' allows all function names, not just command names, you may find that some of your favorite abbreviations that work in `M-x' don't work in `C-h f'. An abbreviation may be unique among command names, yet fail to be unique when other function names are allowed. If you type RET, leaving the minibuffer empty, `C-h f' by default describes the function called by the innermost Lisp expression in the buffer around point, provided that that is a valid, defined Lisp function name. For example, if point is located following the text `(make-vector (car x)', the innermost list containing point is the one starting with `(make-vector', so the default is to describe the function `make-vector'. `C-h f' is often useful just to verify that you have the right spelling for the function name. If `C-h f' mentions a default in the prompt, you have typed the name of a defined Lisp function. If that is what you wanted to know, just type `C-g' to cancel the `C-h f' command and continue editing. `C-h w COMMAND RET' (`where-s') tells you what keys are bound to COMMAND. It prints a list of the keys in the echo area. Alternatively, it informs you that a command is not bound to any keys, which implies that you must use `M-x' to call the command. `C-h v' (`describe-variable') is like `C-h f' but describes Lisp variables instead of Lisp functions. Its default is the Lisp symbol around or before point, if that is the name of a known Lisp variable. *Note Variables::. Apropos ======= `C-h a' Show only symbols that are names of commands (`command-apropos'). `M-x apropos REGEXP' Show all symbols whose names comtain matches for REGEXP. It is possible to ask a question like, "What are the commands for working with files?" To do this, type `C-h a file RET', which displays a list of all command names that contain `file', such as `copy-file', `find-file', and so on. With each command name a brief description of its use and information on the keys you can use to invoke it is displayed. For example, you would be informed that you can invoke `find-file' by typing `C-x C-f'. The `a' in `C-h a' stands for `Apropos'; `C-h a' runs the Lisp function `command-apropos'. Because `C-h a' looks only for functions whose names contain the string you specify, you must use ingenuity in choosing the string. If you are looking for commands for killing backwards and `C-h a kill-backwards RET' doesn't reveal any commands, don't give up. Try just `kill', or just `backwards', or just `back'. Be persistent. Pretend you are playing Adventure. Also note that you can use a regular expression as the argument (*note Regexps::.). Here is a set of arguments to give to `C-h a' that covers many classes of Emacs commands, since there are strong conventions for naming standard Emacs commands. By giving you a feeling for the naming conventions, this set of arguments can also help you develop a technique for picking `apropos' strings. char, line, word, sentence, paragraph, region, page, sexp, list, defun, buffer, frame, window, file, dir, register, mode, beginning, end, forward, backward, next, previous, up, down, search, goto, kill, delete, mark, insert, yank, fill, indent, case, change, set, what, list, find, view, describe. To list all Lisp symbols that contain a match for a regexp, not just the ones that are defined as commands, use the command `M-x apropos' instead of `C-h a'. Other Help Commands =================== `C-h i' (`info') runs the Info program, which is used for browsing through structured documentation files. The entire Emacs manual is available within Info. Eventually all the documentation of the GNU system will be available. Type `h' after entering Info to run a tutorial on using Info. If something surprising happens, and you are not sure what commands you typed, use `C-h l' (`view-lossage'). `C-h l' prints the last 100 command characters you typed. If you see commands you don't know, use `C-h c' to find out what they do. Emacs has several major modes. Each mode redefines a few keys and makes a few other changes in how editing works. `C-h m' (`describe-mode') prints documentation on the current major mode, which normally describes all the commands that are changed in this mode. `C-h b' (`describe-bindings') and `C-h s' (`describe-syntax') present information about the current Emacs mode that is not covered by `C-h m'. `C-h b' displays a list of all key bindings currently in effect, with the local bindings of the current major mode first, followed by the global bindings (*note Key Bindings::.). `C-h s' displays the contents of the syntax table with explanations of each character's syntax (*note Syntax::.). The other `C-h' options display various files of useful information. `C-h C-w' (`describe-no-warranty') displays details on the complete absence of warranty for XEmacs. `C-h n' (`view-emacs-news') displays the file `emacs/etc/NEWS', which contains documentation on Emacs changes arranged chronologically. `C-h t' (`help-with-tutorial') displays the learn-by-doing Emacs tutorial. `C-h C-c' (`describe-copying') displays the file `emacs/etc/COPYING', which tells you the conditions you must obey in distributing copies of Emacs. `C-h C-d' (`describe-distribution') displays another file named `emacs/etc/DISTRIB', which tells you how you can order a copy of the latest version of Emacs. File: xemacs.info, Node: Mark, Next: Mouse Selection, Prev: Help, Up: Top Selecting Text ************** Many Emacs commands operate on an arbitrary contiguous part of the current buffer. You can select text in two ways: * You use special keys to select text by defining a region between point and the mark. * If you are running XEmacs under X, you can also select text with the mouse. The Mark and the Region ======================= To specify the text for a command to operate on, set "the mark" at one end of it, and move point to the other end. The text between point and the mark is called "the region". You can move point or the mark to adjust the boundaries of the region. It doesn't matter which one is set first chronologically, or which one comes earlier in the text. Once the mark has been set, it remains until it is set again at another place. The mark remains fixed with respect to the preceding character if text is inserted or deleted in a buffer. Each Emacs buffer has its own mark; when you return to a buffer that had been selected previously, it has the same mark it had before. Many commands that insert text, such as `C-y' (`yank') and `M-x insert-buffer', position the mark at one end of the inserted text--the opposite end from where point is positioned, so that the region contains the text just inserted. Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is useful for marking a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this feature more useful, Emacs remembers 16 previous locations of the mark in the `mark ring'. * Menu: * Setting Mark:: Commands to set the mark. * Using Region:: Summary of ways to operate on contents of the region. * Marking Objects:: Commands to put region around textual units. * Mark Ring:: Previous mark positions saved so you can go back there. File: xemacs.info, Node: Setting Mark, Next: Using Region, Prev: Mark, Up: Mark Setting the Mark ---------------- Here are some commands for setting the mark: `C-SPC' Set the mark where point is (`set-mark-command'). `C-@' The same. `C-x C-x' Interchange mark and point (`exchange-point-and-mark'). `C-<' Pushes a mark at the beginning of the buffer. `C->' Pushes a mark at the end of the buffer. For example, to convert part of the buffer to all upper-case, you can use the `C-x C-u' (`upcase-region') command, which operates on the text in the region. First go to the beginning of the text you want to capitalize and type `C-SPC' to put the mark there, then move to the end, and then type `C-x C-u' to capitalize the selected region. You can also set the mark at the end of the text, move to the beginning, and then type `C-x C-u'. Most commands that operate on the text in the region have the word `region' in their names. The most common way to set the mark is with the `C-SPC' command (`set-mark-command'). This command sets the mark where point is. You can then move point away, leaving the mark behind. It is actually incorrect to speak of the character `C-SPC'; there is no such character. When you type SPC while holding down CTRL, you get the character `C-@' on most terminals. This character is actually bound to `set-mark-command'. But unless you are unlucky enough to have a terminal where typing `C-SPC' does not produce `C-@', you should think of this character as `C-SPC'. Since terminals have only one cursor, Emacs cannot show you where the mark is located. Most people use the mark soon after they set it, before they forget where it is. But you can see where the mark is with the command `C-x C-x' (`exchange-point-and-mark') which puts the mark where point was and point where the mark was. The extent of the region is unchanged, but the cursor and point are now at the previous location of the mark. Another way to set the mark is to push the mark to the beginning of a buffer while leaving point at its original location. If you supply an argument to `C-<' (`mark-beginning-of-buffer'), the mark is pushed N/10 of the way from the true beginning of the buffer. You can also set the mark at the end of a buffer with `C->' (`mark-end-of-buffer'). It pushes the mark to the end of the buffer, leaving point alone. Supplying an argument to the command pushes the mark N/10 of the way from the true end of the buffer. If you are using XEmacs under the X window system, you can set the variable `zmacs-regions' to `t'. This makes the current region (defined by point and mark) highlight and makes it available as the X clipboard selection, which means you can use the menu bar items on it. *Note Active Regions:: for more information. `C-x C-x' is also useful when you are satisfied with the location of point but want to move the mark; do `C-x C-x' to put point there and then you can move it. A second use of `C-x C-x', if necessary, puts the mark at the new location with point back at its original location. File: xemacs.info, Node: Using Region, Next: Marking Objects, Prev: Setting Mark, Up: Mark Operating on the Region ----------------------- Once you have created an active region, you can do many things to the text in it: * Kill it with `C-w' (*note Killing::.). * Save it in a register with `C-x r s' (*note Registers::.). * Save it in a buffer or a file (*note Accumulating Text::.). * Convert case with `C-x C-l' or `C-x C-u' (*note Case::.). * Evaluate it as Lisp code with `M-x eval-region' (*note Lisp Eval::.). * Fill it as text with `M-g' (*note Filling::.). * Print hardcopy with `M-x print-region' (*note Hardcopy::.). * Indent it with `C-x TAB' or `C-M-\' (*note Indentation::.). File: xemacs.info, Node: Marking Objects, Next: Mark Ring, Prev: Using Region, Up: Mark Commands to Mark Textual Objects -------------------------------- There are commands for placing point and the mark around a textual object such as a word, list, paragraph or page. `M-@' Set mark after end of next word (`mark-word'). This command and the following one do not move point. `C-M-@' Set mark after end of next Lisp expression (`mark-sexp'). `M-h' Put region around current paragraph (`mark-paragraph'). `C-M-h' Put region around current Lisp defun (`mark-defun'). `C-x h' Put region around entire buffer (`mark-whole-buffer'). `C-x C-p' Put region around current page (`mark-page'). `M-@' (`mark-word') puts the mark at the end of the next word, while `C-M-@' (`mark-sexp') puts it at the end of the next Lisp expression. These characters sometimes save you some typing. A number of commands are available that set both point and mark and thus delimit an object in the buffer. `M-h' (`mark-paragraph') moves point to the beginning of the paragraph that surrounds or follows point, and puts the mark at the end of that paragraph (*note Paragraphs::.). You can then indent, case-convert, or kill the whole paragraph. In the same fashion, `C-M-h' (`mark-defun') puts point before and the mark after the current or following defun (*note Defuns::.). `C-x C-p' (`mark-page') puts point before the current page (or the next or previous, depending on the argument), and mark at the end (*note Pages::.). The mark goes after the terminating page delimiter (to include it), while point goes after the preceding page delimiter (to exclude it). Finally, `C-x h' (`mark-whole-buffer') sets up the entire buffer as the region by putting point at the beginning and the mark at the end. File: xemacs.info, Node: Mark Ring, Prev: Marking Objects, Up: Mark The Mark Ring ------------- Aside from delimiting the region, the mark is also useful for marking a spot that you may want to go back to. To make this feature more useful, Emacs remembers 16 previous locations of the mark in the "mark ring". Most commands that set the mark push the old mark onto this ring. To return to a marked location, use `C-u C-SPC' (or `C-u C-@'); this is the command `set-mark-command' given a numeric argument. The command moves point to where the mark was, and restores the mark from the ring of former marks. Repeated use of this command moves point to all the old marks on the ring, one by one. The marks you have seen go to the end of the ring, so no marks are lost. Each buffer has its own mark ring. All editing commands use the current buffer's mark ring. In particular, `C-u C-SPC' always stays in the same buffer. Many commands that can move long distances, such as `M-<' (`beginning-of-buffer'), start by setting the mark and saving the old mark on the mark ring. This makes it easier for you to move back later. Searches set the mark, unless they do not actually move point. When a command sets the mark, `Mark Set' is printed in the echo area. The variable `mark-ring-max' is the maximum number of entries to keep in the mark ring. If that many entries exist and another entry is added, the last entry in the list is discarded. Repeating `C-u C-SPC' circulates through the entries that are currently in the ring. The variable `mark-ring' holds the mark ring itself, as a list of marker objects in the order most recent first. This variable is local in every buffer. File: xemacs.info, Node: Mouse Selection, Next: Additional Mouse Operations, Prev: Mark, Up: Top Selecting Text with the Mouse ============================= If you are using XEmacs under X, you can use the mouse cursor to select text. There are two mouse cursor shapes: * When the mouse cursor is over text, it appears as an I-beam, the same cursor that `xterm' uses. * When the mouse cursor is not over text, it appears as a plus sign (+). You can set the value of the variable `x-mode-pointer-shape' to determine the shape of the mouse pointer when it is over the mode line. If the value is `nil', either the variable `x-nontext-pointer-shape' or `x-pointer-shape' is used. If you want to get fancy, you can set the foreground and background colors of the mouse pointer with the variables `x-pointer-background-color' and `x-pointer-foreground-color'. There are two ways to select a region of text with the mouse: To select a word in text, double-click with the left mouse button while the mouse cursor is over the word. The word is highlighted when selected. On monochrome monitors, a stippled background indicates that a region of text has been highlighted. On color monitors, a color background indicates highlighted text. You can triple-click to select whole lines. To select an arbitrary region of text: 1. Move the mouse cursor over the character at the beginning of the region of text you want to select. 2. Press and hold the left mouse button. 3. While holding the left mouse button down, drag the cursor to the character at the end of the region of text you want to select. 4. Release the left mouse button. The selected region of text is highlighted. Once a region of text is selected, it becomes the primary X selection (*note Using X Selections::.) as well as the Emacs selected region. You can paste it into other X applications and use the options from the Edit pull-down menu on it. Since it is also the Emacs region, you can use Emacs region commands on it. File: xemacs.info, Node: Additional Mouse Operations, Next: Killing, Prev: Mouse Selection, Up: Top Additional Mouse Operations =========================== XEmacs also provides the following mouse functions. Most of these are not bound to mouse gestures by default, but they are provided for your customization pleasure. For example, if you wanted `shift-left' (that is, holding down the Shift key and clicking the left mouse button) to delete the character at which you are pointing, then you could do this: (global-set-key '(shift button1) 'mouse-del-char) `mouse-del-char' Delete the character pointed to by the mouse. `mouse-delete-window' Delete the Emacs window that the mouse is on. `mouse-keep-one-window' Select the Emacs window that the mouse is on, then delete all other windows on this frame. `mouse-kill-line' Kill the line pointed to by the mouse. `mouse-line-length' Print the length of the line indicated by the pointer. `mouse-scroll' Scroll point to the mouse position. `mouse-select' Select the Emacs window the mouse is on. `mouse-select-and-split' Select the Emacs window mouse is on, then split it vertically in half. `mouse-set-mark' Select the Emacs window the mouse is on and set the mark at the mouse position. Display the cursor at that position for a second. `mouse-set-point' Select the Emacs window that the mouse is on and move point to the mouse position. `mouse-track' Make a selection with the mouse. This is the default binding of the left mouse button (button1). `mouse-track-adjust' Extend the existing selection. This is the default binding of Shift-button1. `mouse-track-and-copy-to-cutbuffer' Make a selection like `mouse-track', but also copy it to the cut buffer. `mouse-track-delete-and-insert' Make a selection with the mouse and insert it at point. This is the default binding of control-shift-button1. `mouse-track-insert' Make a selection with the mouse and insert it at point. This is the default binding of control-button1. `mouse-window-to-region' Narrow a window to the region between the cursor and the mouse pointer. The `M-x mouse-track' command should be bound to a mouse button. If you click-and-drag, the selection is set to the region between the point of the initial click and the point at which you release the button. These positions do not need to be ordered. If you click-and-release without moving the mouse, the point is moved, and the selection is disowned (there will be no selection owner.) The mark will be set to the previous position of point. If you double-click, the selection will extend by symbols instead of by characters. If you triple-click, the selection will extend by lines. If you drag the mouse off the top or bottom of the window, you can select pieces of text that are larger than the visible part of the buffer; the buffer will scroll as necessary. The selected text becomes the current X selection, and is also copied to the top of the kill ring. Point will be left at the position at which you released the button and the mark will be left at the initial click position. Bind a mouse click to `mouse-track-and-copy-to-cutbuffer' to copy selections to the cut buffer. (See also the `mouse-track-adjust' command, on `Shift-button1'.) The `M-x mouse-track-adjust' command should be bound to a mouse button. The selection will be enlarged or shrunk so that the point of the mouse click is one of its endpoints. This is only meaningful after the `mouse-track' command (button1) has been executed. The `M-x mouse-track-delete-and-insert' command is exactly the same as the `mouse-track' command on button1, except that point is not moved; the selected text is immediately inserted after being selected; and the text of the selection is deleted. The `M-x mouse-track-insert' command is exactly the same as the `mouse-track' command on button1, except that point is not moved; the selected text is immediately inserted after being selected; and the selection is immediately disowned afterwards. File: xemacs.info, Node: Killing, Next: Yanking, Prev: Additional Mouse Operations, Up: Top Deletion and Killing ==================== Most commands that erase text from the buffer save it. You can get the text back if you change your mind, or you can move or copy it to other parts of the buffer. Commands which erase text and save it in the kill ring are known as "kill" commands. Some other commands erase text but do not save it; they are known as "delete" commands. (This distinction is made only for erasing text in the buffer.) The commands' names and individual descriptions use the words `kill' and `delete' to indicate what they do. If you perform a kill or delete command by mistake, use the `C-x u' (`undo') command to undo it (*note Undo::.). The delete commands include `C-d' (`delete-char') and DEL (`delete-backward-char'), which delete only one character at a time, and those commands that delete only spaces or newlines. Commands that can destroy significant amounts of nontrivial data usually kill. Deletion -------- `C-d' Delete next character (`delete-char'). `DEL' Delete previous character (`delete-backward-char'). `M-\' Delete spaces and tabs around point (`delete-horizontal-space'). `M-SPC' Delete spaces and tabs around point, leaving one space (`just-one-space'). `C-x C-o' Delete blank lines around the current line (`delete-blank-lines'). `M-^' Join two lines by deleting the intervening newline, and any indentation following it (`delete-indentation'). The most basic delete commands are `C-d' (`delete-char') and DEL (`delete-backward-char'). `C-d' deletes the character after point, the one the cursor is "on top of". Point doesn't move. DEL deletes the character before the cursor, and moves point back. You can delete newlines like any other characters in the buffer; deleting a newline joins two lines. Actually, `C-d' and DEL aren't always delete commands; if you give them an argument, they kill instead, since they can erase more than one character this way. The other delete commands delete only formatting characters: spaces, tabs and newlines. `M-\' (`delete-horizontal-space') deletes all spaces and tab characters before and after point. `M-SPC' (`just-one-space') does the same but leaves a single space after point, regardless of the number of spaces that existed previously (even zero). `C-x C-o' (`delete-blank-lines') deletes all blank lines after the current line. If the current line is blank, it deletes all blank lines preceding the current line as well as leaving one blank line, the current line. `M-^' (`delete-indentation') joins the current line and the previous line, or, if given an argument, joins the current line and the next line by deleting a newline and all surrounding spaces, possibly leaving a single space. *Note M-^: Indentation. Killing by Lines ---------------- `C-k' Kill rest of line or one or more lines (`kill-line'). The simplest kill command is `C-k'. If given at the beginning of a line, it kills all the text on the line, leaving the line blank. If given on a blank line, the blank line disappears. As a consequence, a line disappears completely if you go to the front of a non-blank line and type `C-k' twice. More generally, `C-k' kills from point up to the end of the line, unless it is at the end of a line. In that case, it kills the newline following the line, thus merging the next line into the current one. Emacs ignores invisible spaces and tabs at the end of the line when deciding which case applies: if point appears to be at the end of the line, you can be sure the newline will be killed. If you give `C-k' a positive argument, it kills that many lines and the newlines that follow them (however, text on the current line before point is not killed). With a negative argument, `C-k' kills back to a number of line beginnings. An argument of -2 means kill back to the second line beginning. If point is at the beginning of a line, that line beginning doesn't count, so `C-u - 2 C-k' with point at the front of a line kills the two previous lines. `C-k' with an argument of zero kills all the text before point on the current line. Other Kill Commands ------------------- `C-w' Kill region (from point to the mark) (`kill-region'). *Note Words::. `M-d' Kill word (`kill-word'). `M-DEL' Kill word backwards (`backward-kill-word'). `C-x DEL' Kill back to beginning of sentence (`backward-kill-sentence'). *Note Sentences::. `M-k' Kill to end of sentence (`kill-sentence'). `C-M-k' Kill sexp (`kill-sexp'). *Note Lists::. `M-z CHAR' Kill up to next occurrence of CHAR (`zap-to-char'). `C-w' (`kill-region') is a very general kill command; it kills everything between point and the mark. You can use this command to kill any contiguous sequence of characters by first setting the mark at one end of a sequence of characters, then going to the other end and typing `C-w'. A convenient way of killing is combined with searching: `M-z' (`zap-to-char') reads a character and kills from point up to (but not including) the next occurrence of that character in the buffer. If there is no next occurrence, killing goes to the end of the buffer. A numeric argument acts as a repeat count. A negative argument means to search backward and kill text before point. Other syntactic units can be killed: words, with `M-DEL' and `M-d' (*note Words::.); sexps, with `C-M-k' (*note Lists::.); and sentences, with `C-x DEL' and `M-k' (*note Sentences::.). File: xemacs.info, Node: Yanking, Next: Using X Selections, Prev: Killing, Up: Top Yanking ======= "Yanking" means getting back text which was killed. Some systems call this "pasting". The usual way to move or copy text is to kill it and then yank it one or more times. `C-y' Yank last killed text (`yank'). `M-y' Replace re-inserted killed text with the previously killed text (`yank-pop'). `M-w' Save region as last killed text without actually killing it (`copy-region-as-kill'). `C-M-w' Append next kill to last batch of killed text (`append-next-kill'). * Menu: * Kill Ring:: Where killed text is stored. Basic yanking. * Appending Kills:: Several kills in a row all yank together. * Earlier Kills:: Yanking something killed some time ago. File: xemacs.info, Node: Kill Ring, Next: Appending Kills, Prev: Yanking, Up: Yanking The Kill Ring ------------- All killed text is recorded in the "kill ring", a list of blocks of text that have been killed. There is only one kill ring, used in all buffers, so you can kill text in one buffer and yank it in another buffer. This is the usual way to move text from one file to another. (*Note Accumulating Text::, for some other ways.) If you have two separate Emacs processes, you cannot use the kill ring to move text. If you are using XEmacs under X, however, you can use the X selection mechanism to move text from one to another. If you are using XEmacs under X and have one Emacs process with multiple frames, they do share the same kill ring. You can kill or copy text in one Emacs frame, then yank it in the other frame belonging to the same process. The command `C-y' (`yank') reinserts the text of the most recent kill. It leaves the cursor at the end of the text and sets the mark at the beginning of the text. *Note Mark::. `C-u C-y' yanks the text, leaves the cursor in front of the text, and sets the mark after it, if the argument is with just a `C-u'. Any other argument, including `C-u' and digits, has different results, described below, under "Yanking Earlier Kills". To copy a block of text, you can also use `M-w' (`copy-region-as-kill'), which copies the region into the kill ring without removing it from the buffer. `M-w' is similar to `C-w' followed by `C-y' but does not mark the buffer as "modified" and does not actually cut anything. File: xemacs.info, Node: Appending Kills, Next: Earlier Kills, Prev: Kill Ring, Up: Yanking Appending Kills --------------- Normally, each kill command pushes a new block onto the kill ring. However, two or more kill commands in a row combine their text into a single entry, so that a single `C-y' yanks it all back. This means you don't have to kill all the text you want to yank in one command; you can kill line after line, or word after word, until you have killed what you want, then get it all back at once using `C-y'. (Thus we join television in leading people to kill thoughtlessly.) Commands that kill forward from point add onto the end of the previous killed text. Commands that kill backward from point add onto the beginning. This way, any sequence of mixed forward and backward kill commands puts all the killed text into one entry without rearrangement. Numeric arguments do not break the sequence of appending kills. For example, suppose the buffer contains: This is the first line of sample text and here is the third. with point at the beginning of the second line. If you type `C-k C-u 2 M-DEL C-k', the first `C-k' kills the text `line of sample text', `C-u 2 M-DEL' kills `the first' with the newline that followed it, and the second `C-k' kills the newline after the second line. The result is that the buffer contains `This is and here is the third.' and a single kill entry contains `the firstRETline of sample textRET'--all the killed text, in its original order. If a kill command is separated from the last kill command by other commands (not just numeric arguments), it starts a new entry on the kill ring. To force a kill command to append, first type the command `C-M-w' (`append-next-kill'). `C-M-w' tells the following command, if it is a kill command, to append the text it kills to the last killed text, instead of starting a new entry. With `C-M-w', you can kill several separated pieces of text and accumulate them to be yanked back in one place. File: xemacs.info, Node: Earlier Kills, Prev: Appending Kills, Up: Yanking Yanking Earlier Kills --------------------- To recover killed text that is no longer the most recent kill, you need the `Meta-y' (`yank-pop') command. You can use `M-y' only after a `C-y' or another `M-y'. It takes the text previously yanked and replaces it with the text from an earlier kill. To recover the text of the next-to-the-last kill, first use `C-y' to recover the last kill, then `M-y' to replace it with the previous kill. You can think in terms of a "last yank" pointer which points at an item in the kill ring. Each time you kill, the "last yank" pointer moves to the new item at the front of the ring. `C-y' yanks the item which the "last yank" pointer points to. `M-y' moves the "last yank" pointer to a different item, and the text in the buffer changes to match. Enough `M-y' commands can move the pointer to any item in the ring, so you can get any item into the buffer. Eventually the pointer reaches the end of the ring; the next `M-y' moves it to the first item again. Yanking moves the "last yank" pointer around the ring, but does not change the order of the entries in the ring, which always runs from the most recent kill at the front to the oldest one still remembered. Use `M-y' with a numeric argument to advance the "last yank" pointer by the specified number of items. A negative argument moves the pointer toward the front of the ring; from the front of the ring, it moves to the last entry and starts moving forward from there. Once the text you are looking for is brought into the buffer, you can stop doing `M-y' commands and the text will stay there. Since the text is just a copy of the kill ring item, editing it in the buffer does not change what's in the ring. As long you don't kill additional text, the "last yank" pointer remains at the same place in the kill ring: repeating `C-y' will yank another copy of the same old kill. If you know how many `M-y' commands it would take to find the text you want, you can yank that text in one step using `C-y' with a numeric argument. `C-y' with an argument greater than one restores the text the specified number of entries back in the kill ring. Thus, `C-u 2 C-y' gets the next to the last block of killed text. It is equivalent to `C-y M-y'. `C-y' with a numeric argument starts counting from the "last yank" pointer, and sets the "last yank" pointer to the entry that it yanks. The variable `kill-ring-max' controls the length of the kill ring; no more than that many blocks of killed text are saved. File: xemacs.info, Node: Using X Selections, Next: Accumulating Text, Prev: Yanking, Up: Top Using X Selections ================== In the X window system, mouse selections provide a simple mechanism for text transfer between different applications. In a typical X application, you can select text by pressing the left mouse button and dragging the cursor over the text you want to copy. The text becomes the primary X selection and is highlighted. The highlighted region is also the Emacs selected region. * Since the region is the primary X selection, you can go to a different X application and click the middle mouse button: the text that you selected in the previous application is pasted into the current application. * Since the region is the Emacs selected region, you can use all region commands (`C-w, M-w' etc.) as well as the options of the Edit menu to manipulate the selected text. * Menu: * X Clipboard Selection:: Pasting to the X clipboard. * X Selection Commands:: Other operations on the selection. * X Cut Buffers:: X cut buffers are available for compatibility. * Active Regions:: Using zmacs-style highlighting of the selected region. File: xemacs.info, Node: X Clipboard Selection, Next: X Selection Commands, Prev: Using X Selections, Up: Using X Selections The Clipboard Selection ----------------------- There are other kinds of X selections besides the Primary selection; one common one is the Clipboard selection. Some applications prefer to transfer data using this selection in preference to the Primary. One can transfer text from the Primary selection to the Clipboard selection with the Copy command under the Edit menu in the menubar. Usually, the clipboard selection is not visible. However, if you run the `xclipboard' application, the text most recently copied to the clipboard (with the Copy command) is displayed in a window. Any time new text is thus copied, the `xclipboard' application makes a copy of it and displays it in its window. The value of the clipboard can survive the lifetime of the running Emacs process. The `xclipboard' man page provides more details. Warning: If you use the `xclipboard' application, remember that it maintains a list of all things that have been pasted to the clipboard (that is, copied with the Copy command). If you don't manually delete elements from this list by clicking on the Delete button in the `xclipboard' window, the clipboard will eventually consume a lot of memory. In summary, some X applications (such as `xterm') allow one to paste text in them from XEmacs in the following way: * Drag out a region of text in Emacs with the left mouse button, making that text be the Primary selection. * Click the middle button in the other application, pasting the Primary selection. With some other applications (notably, the OpenWindows and Motif tools) you must use this method instead: * Drag out a region of text in Emacs with the left mouse button, making that text be the Primary selection. * Copy the selected text to the Clipboard selection by selecting the Copy menu item from the Edit menu, or by hitting the Copy key on your keyboard. * Paste the text in the other application by selecting Paste from its menu, or by hitting the Paste key on your keyboard. File: xemacs.info, Node: X Selection Commands, Next: X Cut Buffers, Prev: X Clipboard Selection, Up: Using X Selections Miscellaneous X Selection Commands ---------------------------------- `M-x x-copy-primary-selection' Copy the primary selection to both the kill ring and the Clipboard. `M-x x-insert-selection' Insert the current selection into the buffer at point. `M-x x-delete-primary-selection' Deletes the text in the primary selection without copying it to the kill ring or the Clipboard. `M-x x-kill-primary-selection' Deletes the text in the primary selection and copies it to both the kill ring and the Clipboard. `M-x x-mouse-kill' Kill the text between point and the mouse and copy it to the clipboard and to the cut buffer. `M-x x-own-secondary-selection' Make a secondary X selection of the given argument. `M-x x-own-selection' Make a primary X selection of the given argument. `M-x x-set-point-and-insert-selection' Set point where clicked and insert the primary selection or the cut buffer. File: xemacs.info, Node: X Cut Buffers, Next: Active Regions, Prev: X Selection Commands, Up: Using X Selections X Cut Buffers ------------- X cut buffers are a different, older way of transferring text between applications. XEmacs supports cut buffers for compatibility with older programs, even though selections are now the preferred way of transferring text. X has a concept of applications "owning" selections. When you select text by clicking and dragging inside an application, the application tells the X server that it owns the selection. When another application asks the X server for the value of the selection, the X server requests the information from the owner. When you use selections, the selection data is not actually transferred unless someone wants it; the act of making a selection doesn't transfer data. Cut buffers are different: when you "own" a cut buffer, the data is actually transferred to the X server immediately, and survives the lifetime of the application. Any time a region of text becomes the primary selection in Emacs, Emacs also copies that text to the cut buffer. This makes it possible to copy text from an XEmacs buffer and paste it into an older, non-selection-based application (such as Emacs 18). Note: Older versions of Emacs could not access the X selections, only the X cut buffers.