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UNIX in a Nutshell: System V Edition

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Previous: 7.2 Summary of Commands by GroupChapter 7
The Emacs Editor
Next: 7.4 Summary of Commands by Name
 

7.3 Summary of Commands by Key

Emacs commands are presented below in two alphabetical lists. Reminder: C- indicates the Control key; M- indicates the Meta key.

7.3.1 Control-Key Sequences

Keystrokes

Command Name

Description

C-@

set-mark-command

Mark the beginning (or end) of a region.

C-Space

(same as previous)

 

C-]

(none)

Exit recursive edit and exit query-replace.

C-a

beginning-of-line

Move to beginning of line.

C-b

backward-char

Move backward one character (left).

C-c C-c

comint-interrupt-subjob

Terminate the current job.

C-c C-d

comint-send-eof

End-of-file character.

C-c C-u

comint-kill-input

Erase current line.

C-c C-w

backward-kill-word

Erase the previous word.

C-c C-z

comint-stop-subjob

Suspend the current job.

C-d

delete-char

Delete character under cursor.

C-e

end-of-line

Move to end of line.

C-f

forward-char

Move forward one character (right).

C-g

keyboard-quit

Abort current command.

C-h

help-command

Enter the online help system.

C-h a

command-apropos

What commands involve this concept?

C-h b

describe-bindings

What are all the key bindings for this buffer?

C-h C-c

describe-copying

View the emacs General Public License.

C-h C-d

describe-distribution

View information on ordering emacs from FSF.

C-h C-w

describe-no-warranty

View the (non-)warranty for emacs.

C-h c

describe-key-briefly

What command does this keystroke sequence run?

C-h f

describe-function

What does this function do?

C-h i

info

Start the Info documentation reader.

C-h k

describe-key

What command does this keystroke sequence run, and what does it do?

C-h l

view-lossage

What are the last 100 characters I typed?

C-h m

describe-mode

Tell me about the mode the current buffer is in.

C-h n

view-emacs-news

View news about updates to emacs.

C-h s

describe-syntax

What is the syntax table for this buffer?

C-h t

help-with-tutorial

Run the emacs tutorial.

C-h v

describe-variable

What does this variable mean, and what is its value?

C-h w

where-is

What is the key binding for this command?

C-k

kill-line

Delete from cursor to end of line.

C-l

recenter

Redraw screen with current line in the center.

C-n

next-line

Move to next line (down).

C-p

previous-line

Move to previous line (up).

C-r Meta

(none)

Start nonincremental search backwards.

C-r

(none)

Repeat nonincremental search backward.

C-r

(none)

Enter recursive edit (during query replace).

C-r

isearch-backward

Start incremental search backward.

C-s Meta

(none)

Start nonincremental search forward.

C-s

(none)

Repeat nonincremental search forward.

C-s

isearch-forward

Start incremental search forward.

C-t

transpose-chars

Transpose two letters.

C-u n

universal-argument

Repeat the next command n times.

C-u C-x (

universal-argument and start-kbd-macro

Execute last macro defined, then add keystrokes.

C-u C-x q

(none)

Insert recursive edit in a macro definition.

C-v

scroll-up

Move forward one screen.

C-w

kill-region

Delete a marked region.

C-x (

start-kbd-macro

Start macro definition.

C-x )

end-kbd-macro

End macro definition.

C-x [

backward-page

Move backward one page.

C-x ]

forward-page

Move forward one page.

C-x ^

enlarge-window

Make window taller.

C-x {

shrink-window-horizontally

Make window narrower.

C-x }

enlarge-window-horizontally

Make window wider.

C-x <

scroll-left

Scroll the window left.

C-x >

scroll-right

Scroll the window right.

C-x .

set-fill-prefix

Use characters from the beginning of the line up to the cursor column as the "fill prefix." This prefix is prepended to each line in the paragraph. Cancel the prefix by typing this command in column 1.

C-x 0

delete-window

Delete current window.

C-x 1

delete-other-windows

Delete all windows but this one.

C-x 2

split-window-vertically

Divide the current window into two, one on top of the other.

C-x 3

split-window-horizontally

Divide the current window into two, side by side.

C-x 4 b

switch-to-buffer-other-window

Select a buffer in the other window.

C-x 4 f

find-file-other-window

Find a file in the other window.

C-x 5 b

switch-to-buffer-other-frame

Select a buffer in another frame.

C-x 5 f

find-file-other-frame

Find a file in a new frame.

C-x C-b

list-buffers

Display the buffer list.

C-x C-c

save-buffers-kill-emacs

Exit emacs.

C-x C-f

find-file

Find file and read it.

C-x C-l

downcase-region

Lowercase region.

C-x C-p

mark-page

Mark page.

C-x C-q

(none)

Toggle read-only status of buffer.

C-x C-s

save-buffer

Save file (may hang terminal; use C-q to restart).

C-x C-t

transpose-lines

Transpose two lines.

C-x C-u

upcase-region

Uppercase region

C-x C-v

find-alternate-file

Read an alternate file, replacing the one read with C-x C-f.

C-x C-w

write-file

Write buffer contents to file.

C-x C-x

exchange-point-and-mark

Exchange location of cursor and mark.

C-x DEL

backward-kill-sentence

Delete previous sentence.

C-x a i g

inverse-add-global-abbrev

Type global abbreviation, then definition.

C-x a i l

inverse-add-local-abbrev

Type local abbreviation, then definition.

C-x b

switch-to-buffer

Move to the buffer specified.

C-x e

call-last-kbd-macro

Execute last macro defined.

C-x h

mark-whole-buffer

Mark buffer.

C-x i

insert-file

Insert file at cursor position.

C-x k

kill-buffer

Delete the buffer specified.

C-x o

other-window

Move to the other window.

C-x q

kbd-macro-query

Insert a query in a macro definition.

C-x s

save-some-buffers

Ask whether to save each modified buffer.

C-x u

advertised-undo

Undo last edit (can be done repeatedly).

C-y

yank

Restore what you've deleted.

C-z

suspend-emacs

Suspend emacs (use exit or fg to restart).

7.3.2 Meta-Key Sequences

Keystrokes

Command Name

Description

Meta

(none)

Exit a query-replace or successful search.

M-- M-c

negative-argument; capitalize-word

Capitalize previous word.

M-- M-l

negative-argument; downcase-word

Lowercase previous word.

M-- M-u

negative-argument; upcase-word

Uppercase previous word.

M-$

spell-word

Check spelling of word after cursor.

M-<

beginning-of-buffer

Move to beginning of file.

M->

end-of-buffer

Move to end of file.

M-{

backward-paragraph

Move backward one paragraph.

M-}

forward-paragraph

Move forward one paragraph.

M-^

delete-indentation

Join this line to the previous one.

M-n

digit-argument

Repeat the next command n times.

M-n C-x e

digit-argument and call-last-kbd-macro

Execute the last defined macro, n times.

M-a

backward-sentence

Move backward one sentence.

M-b

backward-word

Move one word backward.

M-C-\

indent-region

Indent a region to match first line in region.

M-C-c

exit-recursive-edit

Exit a recursive edit.

M-C-o

split-line

Split line at cursor; indent to column of cursor.

M-C-v

scroll-other-window

Scroll other window.

M-c

capitalize-word

Capitalize first letter of word.

M-d

kill-word

Delete word that cursor is on.

M-DEL

backward-kill-word

Delete previous word.

M-e

forward-sentence

Move forward one sentence.

M-f

forward-word

Move one word forward.

(none)

fill-region

Reformat individual paragraphs within a region.

M-h

mark-paragraph

Mark paragraph.

M-k

kill-sentence

Delete sentence the cursor is on.

M-l

downcase-word

Lowercase word.

M-m

back-to-indentation

Move cursor to first nonblank character on line.

M-q

fill-paragraph

Reformat paragraph.

M-s

center-line

Center line that cursor is on.

M-t

transpose-words

Transpose two words.

M-u

upcase-word

Uppercase word.

M-v

scroll-down

Move backward one screen.

M-x

(none)

Access command by command name.


Previous: 7.2 Summary of Commands by GroupUNIX in a Nutshell: System V EditionNext: 7.4 Summary of Commands by Name
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