To read in a file to edit, see Files, below.
suspend Emacs (or iconify it under X) C-z exit Emacs permanently C-x C-c
read a file into Emacs C-x C-f save a file back to disk C-x C-s save all files C-x s insert contents of another file into this buffer C-x i replace this file with the file you really want C-x C-v write buffer to a specified file C-x C-w
remove Help window C-x 1 scroll Help window ESC C-v apropos: show commands matching a string C-h a show the function a key runs C-h c describe a function C-h f get mode-specific information C-h m
abort partially typed or executing command C-g recover a file lost by a system crash M-x recover-file undo an unwanted change C-x u or C-` restore a buffer to its original contents M-x revert-buffer redraw garbaged screen C-l
search forward C-s search backward C-r regular expression search C-M-s reverse regular expression search C-M-r select previous search string M-p select next later search string M-n exit incremental search RET undo effect of last character DEL abort current search C-gUse C-s or C-r again to repeat the search in either direction. If Emacs is still searching, C-g cancels only the part not done.
entity to move over backward forward character C-b C-f word M-b M-f line C-p C-n go to line beginning (or end) C-a C-e sentence M-a M-e paragraph M-- M-" page C-x [ C-x ] sexp C-M-b C-M-f function C-M-a C-M-e go to buffer beginning (or end) M-< M-> scroll to next screen C-v scroll to previous screen M-v scroll left C-x < scroll right C-x > scroll current line to center of screen C-u C-l
entity to kill backward forward character (delete, not kill) DEL C-d word M-DEL M-d line (to end of) M-0 C-k C-k sentence C-x DEL M-k sexp M-- C-M-k C-M-k kill region C-w copy region to kill ring M-w kill through next occurrence of char M-z char yank back last thing killed C-y replace last yank with previous kill M-y
set mark here C-@ or C-SPC exchange point and mark C-x C-x set mark arg words away M-@ mark paragraph M-h mark page C-x C-p mark sexp C-M-@ mark function C-M-h mark entire buffer C-x h
interactively replace a text string M-% using regular expressions M-x query-replace-regexpValid responses in query-replace mode are:
replace this one, go on to next SPC replace this one, don't move , skip to next without replacing DEL replace all remaining matches ! back up to the previous match ^ exit query-replace ESC enter recursive edit (C-M-c to exit) C-r
delete all other windows C-x 1 delete this window C-x 0 split window in two vertically C-x 2 split window in two horizontally C-x 3 scroll other window C-M-v switch cursor to another window C-x o shrink window shorter M-x shrink-window grow window taller C-x ^ shrink window narrower C-x - grow window wider C-x " select buffer in other window C-x 4 b display buffer in other window C-x 4 C-o find file in other window C-x 4 f find file read-only in other window C-x 4 r run Dired in other window C-x 4 d find tag in other window C-x 4 .
indent current line (mode-dependent) TAB indent region (mode-dependent) C-M-" indent sexp (mode-dependent) C-M-q indent region rigidly arg columns C-x TAB insert newline after point C-o move rest of line vertically down C-M-o delete blank lines around point C-x C-o join line with previous (with arg, next) M-^ delete all white space around point M-" put exactly one space at point M-SPC fill paragraph M-q set fill column C-x f set prefix each line starts with C-x .
uppercase word M-u lowercase word M-l capitalize word M-c uppercase region C-x C-u lowercase region C-x C-l capitalize region M-x capitalize-region
complete as much as possible TAB complete up to one word SPC complete and execute RET show possible completions ? fetch previous minibuffer input M-p fetch next later minibuffer input M-n regexp search backward through history M-r regexp search forward through history M-s abort command C-gType C-x ESC ESC to edit and repeat the last command that used the minibuffer. The following keys are then defined:
previous minibuffer command M-p next minibuffer command M-n
select another buffer C-x b list all buffers C-x C-b kill a buffer C-x k
transpose characters C-t transpose words M-t transpose lines C-x C-t transpose sexps C-M-t
check spelling of current word M-$ check spelling of all words in region M-x ispell-region check spelling of entire buffer M-x ispell-buffer
find a tag (a definition) M-. find next occurrence of tag C-u M-. specify a new tags file M-x visit-tags-table regexp search on all files in tags table M-x tags-search run query-replace on all the files M-x tags-query-replace continue last tags search or query-replace M-,
execute a shell command M-! run a shell command on the region M-_ filter region through a shell command C-u M-_ start a shell in window *shell* M-x shell
copy rectangle to register C-x r r kill rectangle C-x r k yank rectangle C-x r y open rectangle, shifting text right C-x r o blank out rectangle M-x clear-rectangle prefix each line with a string M-x string-rectangle
add global abbrev C-x a g add mode-local abbrev C-x a l add global expansion for this abbrev C-x a i g add mode-local expansion for this abbrev C-x a i l explicitly expand abbrev C-x a e expand previous word dynamically M-/
any single character except a newline . (dot)
zero or more repeats *
one or more repeats +
zero or one repeat ?
any character in the set [ : : :]
any character not in the set [^ : : :]
beginning of line ^
end of line $
quote a special character c "c
alternative ("or") "_
grouping "( : : :")
nth group "n
beginning of buffer "`
end of buffer "'
word break "b
not beginning or end of word "B
beginning of word "<
end of word ">
any word-syntax character "w
any non-word-syntax character "W
character with syntax c "sc
character with syntax not c "Sc
save region in register C-x r s insert register contents into buffer C-x r i save value of point in register C-x r SPC jump to point saved in register C-x r j
enter the Info documentation reader C-h iMoving within a node:
scroll forward SPC scroll reverse DEL beginning of node . (dot)Moving between nodes:
next node n previous node p move up u select menu item by name m select nth menu item by number (1-5) n follow cross reference (return with l) f return to last node you saw l return to directory node d go to any node by name gOther:
run Info tutorial h list Info commands ? quit Info q search nodes for regexp s
start defining a keyboard macro C-x ( end keyboard macro definition C-x ) execute last-defined keyboard macro C-x e append to last keyboard macro C-u C-x ( name last keyboard macro M-x name-last-kbd-macro insert Lisp definition in buffer M-x insert-kbd-macro
eval sexp before point C-x C-e eval current defun C-M-x eval region M-x eval-region eval entire buffer M-x eval-current-buffer read and eval minibuffer M-ESC re-execute last minibuffer command C-x ESC ESC read and eval Emacs Lisp file M-x load-file load from standard system directory M-x load-library
(global-set-key ""C-cg" 'goto-line) (global-set-key ""C-x"C-k" 'kill-region) (global-set-key ""e#" 'query-replace-regexp)An example of setting a variable in Emacs Lisp:
(setq backup-by-copying-when-linked t)
(defun command-name (args) "documentation" (interactive "template") body)An example:
(defun this-line-to-top-of-window (line)
"Reposition line point is on to top of window.
With ARG, put point on line ARG.
Negative counts from bottom."
(interactive "P")
(recenter (if (null line)
0
(prefix-numeric-value line))))
The argument to interactive is a string specifying how to get the
arguments when the function is called interactively. Type C-h f
interactive for more information.
Copyright c 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
designed by Stephen Gildea, May 1993 v2.0
for GNU Emacs version 19 on Unix systems