[Chapter 7] 7.2 Summary of Commands by Group
Author: Daniel Gilly & the Staff of O'Reilly & Associates
Date: 1998-08-06T21:59:47Z

#

| Chapter 7 The Emacs Editor |

## 7.2 Summary of Commands by Group

Reminder: Tables list keystrokes, command name, and description. C- indicates the Control key; M- indicates the Meta key.

### 7.2.1 File-handling Commands

C-x C-f | find-file | Find file and read it.
C-x C-v | find-alternate-file | Read another file; replace the one read with C-x C-f.
C-x i | insert-file | Insert file at cursor position.
C-x C-s | save-buffer | Save file (may hang terminal; use C-q to restart).
C-x C-w | write-file | Write buffer contents to file.
C-x C-c | save-buffers-kill-emacs | Exit emacs.
C-z | suspend-emacs | Suspend emacs (use exit or fg to restart).

### 7.2.2 Cursor Movement Commands

C-f | forward-char | Move forward one character (right).
C-b | backward-char | Move backward one character (left).
C-p | previous-line | Move to previous line (up).
C-n | next-line | Move to next line (down).
M-f | forward-word | Move one word forward.
M-b | backward-word | Move one word backward.
C-a | beginning-of-line | Move to beginning of line.
C-e | end-of-line | Move to end of line.
M-a | backward-sentence | Move backward one sentence.
M-e | forward-sentence | Move forward one sentence.
M-[ | backward-paragraph | Move backward one paragraph.
M-] | forward-paragraph | Move forward one paragraph.
C-v | scroll-up | Move forward one screen.
M-v | scroll-down | Move backward one screen.
C-x [ | backward-page | Move backward one page.
C-x ] | forward-page | Move forward one page.
M-> | end-of-buffer | Move to end of file.
M-< | beginning-of-buffer | Move to beginning of file.
(none) | goto-line | Go to line n of file.
(none) | goto-char | Go to character n of file.
C-l | recenter | Redraw screen with current line in the center.
M-n | digit-argument | Repeat the next command n times.
C-u n | universal-argument | Repeat the next command n times.

### 7.2.3 Deletion Commands

DEL | backward-delete-char | Delete previous character.
C-d | delete-char | Delete character under cursor.
M-DEL | backward-kill-word | Delete previous word.
M-d | kill-word | Delete the word the cursor is on.
C-k | kill-line | Delete from cursor to end of line.
M-k | kill-sentence | Delete sentence the cursor is on.
C-x DEL | backward-kill-sentence | Delete previous sentence.
C-y | yank | Restore what you've deleted.
C-w | kill-region | Delete a marked region (see next section).
(none) | backward-kill-paragraph | Delete previous paragraph.
(none) | kill-paragraph | Delete from the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

### 7.2.4 Paragraphs and Regions

C-@ | set-mark-command | Mark the beginning (or end) of a region.
C-SPACE | (same as above) |
C-x C-p | mark-page | Mark page.
C-x C-x | exchange-point-and-mark | Exchange location of cursor and mark.
C-x h | mark-whole-buffer | Mark buffer.
M-q | fill-paragraph | Reformat paragraph.
M-q | fill-region | Reformat individual paragraphs within a region.
M-h | mark-paragraph | Mark paragraph.

### 7.2.5 Stopping and Undoing Commands

C- | keyboard-quit | Abort current command.
C-x u | advertised-undo | Undo last edit (can be done repeatedly).
(none) | revert-buffer | Restore buffer to the state it was in when the file was last saved (or auto-saved).

### 7.2.6 Transposition Commands

C-t | transpose-chars | Transpose two letters.
M-t | transpose-words | Transpose two words.
C-x C-t | transpose-lines | Transpose two lines.
(none) | transpose-sentences | Transpose two sentences.
(none) | transpose-paragraphs | Transpose two paragraphs.

### 7.2.7 Capitalization Commands

M-c | capitalize-word | Capitalize first letter of word.
M-u | upcase-word | Uppercase word.
M-l | downcase-word | Lowercase word.
M- - M-c | negative-argument; capitalize-word | Capitalize previous word.
M- - M-u | negative-argument; upcase-word | Uppercase previous word.
M- - M-l | negative-argument; downcase-word | Lowercase previous word.
(none) | capitalize-region | Capitalize region.
C-x C-u | upcase-region | Uppercase region
C-x C-l | downcase-region | Lowercase region.

### 7.2.8 Incremental Search Commands

C-s | isearch-forward | Start incremental search forward.
C-r | isearch-backward | Start incremental search backward.
Meta | (none) | Exit a successful search.
C-g | keyboard-quit | Cancel incremental search; return to starting point.
DEL | (none) | Delete incorrect character of search string.

### 7.2.9 Word Abbreviation Commands

(none) | abbrev-mode | Enter (or exit) word abbreviation mode.
C-x - | inverse-add-lobal-abbrev | Type global abbreviation, then definition.
C-x C-h | inverse-add-local-abbrev | Type local abbreviation, then definition.
(none) | unexpand-abbrev | Undo the last word abbreviation.
(none) | write-abbrev-file | Write the word abbreviation file.
(none) | edit-abbrevs | Edit the word abbreviations.
(none) | list-abbrevs | View the word abbreviations.
(none) | kill-all-abbrevs | Kill abbreviations for this session.

### 7.2.10 Buffer Manipulation Commands

C-x b | switch-to-buffer | Move to specified buffer.
C-x C-b | list-buffers | Display buffer list.
C-x k | kill-buffer | Delete specified buffer.
(none) | kill-some-buffers | Ask about deleting each buffer.
(none) | rename-buffer | Change buffer name to specified name.
C-x s | save-some-buffers | Ask whether to save each modified buffer.

### 7.2.11 Window Commands

C-x 2 | split-window-horizontally | Divide the current window horizontally into two.
C-x 5 | split-window-vertically | Divide the current window vertically into two.
C-x > | scroll-right | Scroll the window right.
C-x < | scroll-left | Scroll the window left.
C-x o | other-window | Move to the other window.
C-x 0 | delete-window | Delete current window.
C-x 1 | delete-other-windows | Delete all windows but this one.
(none) | delete-windows-on | Delete all windows on a given buffer.
C-x ^ | enlarge-window | Make window taller.
(none) | shrink-window | Make window shorter.
C-x } | enlarge-window-horizontally | Make window wider.
C-x { | shrink-window-horizontally | Make window narrower.
M-C-v | scroll-other-window | Scroll other window.
C-x 4 f | find-file-other-window | Find a file in the other window.
C-x 4 b | switch-to-buffer-other-window | Select a buffer in the other window.
(none) | compare-windows | Compare two buffers; show first difference.

### 7.2.12 Special Shell Characters

C-c C-c | interrupt-shell-subjob | Terminate the current job.
C-c C-d | shell-send-eof | End of file character.
C-c C-u | kill-shell-input | Erase current line.
C-c C-w | backward-kill-word | Erase the previous word.
C-c C-z | stop-shell-subjob | Suspend the current job.

### 7.2.13 Indentation Commands

C-x . | set-fill-prefix | Prepend each line in paragraph with characters from beginning of line up to cursor column; cancel prefix by typing this command in column 1.
(none) | indented-text-mode | Major mode: each tab defines a new indent for subsequent lines.
(none) | text-mode | Exit indented text mode; return to text mode.
M-C-\ | indent-region | Indent a region to match first line in region.
M-m | back-to-indentation | Move cursor to first character on line.
M-C-o | split-line | Split line at cursor; indent to column of cursor.
(none) | fill-individual- paragraphs | Reformat indented paragraphs, keeping indentation.

### 7.2.14 Centering Commands

M-s | center-line | Center line that cursor is on.
(none) | center-paragraph | Center paragraph that cursor is on.
(none) | center-region | Center currently defined region.

### 7.2.15 Macro Commands

C-x ( | start-kbd-macro | Start macro definition.
C-x ) | end-kbd-macro | End macro definition.
C-x e | call-last-kbd-macro | Execute last macro defined.
M-n C-x e | digit-argument and call-last-kbd-macro | Execute last macro defined, n times.
C-u C-x ( | start-kbd-macro | Execute last macro defined, then add keystrokes.
(none) | name-last-kbd-macro | Name last macro you created (before saving it).
(none) | insert-last-keyboard-macro | Insert the macro you named into a file.
(none) | load-file | Load macro files you've saved.
(none) | macroname | Execute a keyboard macro you've saved.
C-x q | kbd-macro-query | Insert a query in a macro definition.
C-u C-x q | (none) | Insert a recursive edit in a macro definition.
M-C-c | exit-recursive-edit | Exit a recursive edit.

### 7.2.16 Basic Indentation Commands

M-C-\ | indent-region | Indent a region to match first line in region.
M-m | back-to-indentation | Move to first non-blank character on line.
M-^ | delete-indentation | Join this line to the previous one.

### 7.2.17 Detail Information Help Commands

C-h a | command-apropos | What commands involve this concept?
(none) | apropos | What functions and variables involve this concept?
C-h c | describe-key-briefly | What command does this keystroke sequence run?
C-h b | describe-bindings | What are all the key bindings for this buffer?
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 w | where-is | What is the key binding for this command?
C-h f | describe-function | What does this function do?
C-h v | describe-variable | What does this variable mean, and what is its value?
C-h m | describe-mode | Tell me about the mode the current buffer is in.
C-h s | describe-syntax | What is the syntax table for this buffer?

### 7.2.18 Help Commands

C-h t | help-with-tutorial | Run the emacs tutorial.
C-h i | info | Start the info documentation reader.
C-h n | view-emacs-news | View news about updates to emacs.
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.

7.1 Introduction |  | 7.3 Summary of Commands by Key