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10.5. Summary of Commands by Name

The following Emacs commands are presented alphabetically by command name. Use M-x to access the command name. Tables list command name, keystroke, and description. C- indicates the Ctrl key; M- indicates the Meta key.

Command Binding Action
macroname (none)

Execute a keyboard macro you've saved.

abbrev-mode (none)

Enter (or exit) word abbreviation mode.

abort-recursive-edit C-]

Exit recursive edit and exit query-replace.

advertised-undo C-x u

Undo last edit (can be done repeatedly).

apropos (none)

What functions and variables involve this concept?

back-to-indentation M-m

Move cursor to first nonblank character on line.

backward-char C-b

Move backward one character (left).

backward-delete-char Del Delete previous character.
backward-kill-paragraph (none) Delete previous paragraph.
backward-kill-sentence C-x Del Delete previous sentence.
backward-kill-word C-c C-w Erase previous word.
backward-kill-word M-Del Delete previous word.
backward-page C-x [ Move backward one page.
backward-paragraph M-{ Move backward one paragraph.
backward-sentence M-a Move backward one sentence.
backward-word M-b Move backward one word.
beginning-of-buffer M-< Move to beginning of file.
beginning-of-line C-a Move to beginning of line.
call-last-kbd-macro C-x e

Execute last macro defined.

capitalize-region (none) Capitalize region.
capitalize-word M-c

Capitalize first letter of word.

center-line (none)

Center line that cursor is on.

center-paragraph (none)

Center paragraph that cursor is on.

center-region (none)

Center currently defined region.

command-apropos C-h a

What commands involve this concept?

compare-windows (none)

Compare two buffers; show first difference.

delete-char C-d Delete character under cursor.
delete-indentation M-^ Join this line to previous one.
delete-other-windows C-x 1

Delete all windows but this one.

delete-window C-x 0 Delete current window.
delete-windows-on (none)

Delete all windows on a given buffer.

describe-bindings C-h b

What are all the key bindings for in this buffer?

describe-copying C-h C-c

View the Emacs General Public License.

describe-distribution C-h C-d

View information on ordering Emacs from the FSF.

describe-function C-h f What does this function do?
describe-key C-h k

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

describe-key-briefly C-h c

What command does this keystroke sequence run?

describe-mode C-h m

Tell me about the mode the current buffer is in.

describe-no-warranty C-h C-w

View the (non)warranty for Emacs.

describe-syntax C-h s

What is the syntax table for this buffer?

describe-variable C-h v

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

digit-argument M-n

Repeat next command n times.

downcase-region C-x C-l Lowercase region.
downcase-word M-l Lowercase word.
edit-abbrevs (none) Edit word abbreviations.
end-kbd-macro C-x ) End macro definition.
end-of-buffer M-> Move to end-of-file.
end-of-line C-e Move to end-of-line.
enlarge-window C-x ^ Make window taller.
enlarge-window-horizontally C-x } Make window wider.
exchange-point-and-mark C-x C-x

Exchange location of cursor and mark.

exit-recursive-edit M-C-c Exit a recursive edit.
fill-individual-paragraphs (none)

Reformat indented paragraphs, keeping indentation.

fill-paragraph M-q Reformat paragraph.
fill-region (none)

Reformat individual paragraphs within a region.

find-alternate-file C-x C-v

Read an alternate file, replacing the one currently in the buffer.

find-file C-x C-f Find file and read it.
find-file-other-frame C-x 5 f

Find a file in a new frame.

find-file-other-window C-x 4 f

Find a file in the other window.

forward-char C-f

Move forward one character (right).

forward-page C-x ] Move forward one page.
forward-paragraph M-} Move forward one paragraph.
forward-sentence M-e Move forward one sentence.
forward-word M-f Move forward one word.
goto-char (none)

Go to character n of file.

goto-line (none) Go to line n of file.
help-command C-h Enter the online help system.
help-with-tutorial C-h t Run the Emacs tutorial.
indent-region M-C-\

Indent a region to match first line in region.

indented-text-mode (none)

Major mode: each tab defines a new indent for subsequent lines.

info C-h i

Start the Info documentation reader.

insert-file C-x i Insert file at cursor position.
insert-last-keyboard-macro (none)

Insert the macro you named into a file.

interrupt-shell-subjob C-c C-c

Terminate the current job (shell mode).

inverse-add-global-abbrev C-x a -

Define previous word as global (mode-independent) abbreviation.

inverse-add-mode-abbrev C-x a i l

Define previous word as mode-specific abbreviation.

isearch-backward C-r

Start incremental search backward.

isearch-backward-regexp M-C-r

Same, but search for regular expression.

isearch-forward C-s

Start incremental search forward.

isearch-forward-regexp M-C-s

Same, but search for regular expression.

kbd-macro-query C-x q

Insert a query in a macro definition.

keyboard-quit C-g Abort current command.
kill-all-abbrevs (none)

Kill abbreviations for this session.

kill-buffer C-x k Delete the buffer specified.
kill-line C-k

Delete from cursor to end-of-line.

kill-paragraph (none)

Delete from cursor to end of paragraph.

kill-region C-w Delete a marked region.
kill-sentence M-k

Delete sentence the cursor is on.

kill-shell-input C-c C-u Erase current line.
kill-some-buffers (none)

Ask about deleting each buffer.

kill-word M-d

Delete word the cursor is on.

list-abbrevs (none) View word abbreviations.
list-buffers C-x C-b Display buffer list.
load-file (none)

Load macro files you've saved.

mark-page C-x C-p

Place cursor and mark around whole page.

mark-paragraph M-h

Place cursor and mark around whole paragraph.

mark-whole-buffer C-x h

Place cursor and mark around whole buffer.

name-last-kbd-macro (none)

Name last macro you created (before saving it).

negative-argument; capitalize-word

M-- M-c Capitalize previous word.

negative-argument; downcase-word

M-- M-l Lowercase previous word.

negative-argument; upcase-word

M-- M-u Uppercase previous word.
next-line C-n Move to next line (down).
other-window C-x o

Move to the other window.

previous-line C-p Move to previous line (up).
query-replace-regexp (none)

Query-replace a regular expression.

quoted-insert C-q

Insert next character typed. Useful for inserting a control character.

recenter C-l

Redraw screen, with current line in center.

rename-buffer (none)

Change buffer name to specified name.

replace-regexp (none)

Replace a regular expression unconditionally.

re-search-backward (none)

Simple regular-expression search backward.

re-search-forward (none)

Simple regular-expression search forward.

revert-buffer (none)

Restore buffer to the state it was in when the file was last saved (or auto-saved).

save-buffer C-x C-s

Save file. (If terminal hangs, C-q restarts.)

save-buffers-kill-emacs C-x C-c Exit Emacs.
save-some-buffers C-x s

Ask whether to save each modified buffer.

scroll-down M-v Move backward one screen.
scroll-left C-x < Scroll the window left.
scroll-other-window M-C-v Scroll other window.
scroll-right C-x > Scroll the window right.
scroll-up C-v Move forward one screen.
set-fill-prefix C-x .

Prepend each line in paragraph with characters from beginning of line up to cursor column; cancel prefix by typing this command in column 1.

set-mark-command

C-@ or C-Space

Mark the beginning (or end) of a region.

shell-send-eof C-c C-d

End-of-file character (shell mode).

shrink-window (none) Make window shorter.
shrink-window-horizontally C-x { Make window narrower.
spell-buffer (none)

Check spelling of current buffer.

spell-region (none)

Check spelling of current region.

spell-string (none)

Check spelling of string typed in minibuffer.

spell-word M-$

Check spelling of word after cursor.

split-line M-C-o

Split line at cursor; indent to column of cursor.

split-window-horizontally C-x 3

Divide current window horizontally into two.

split-window-vertically C-x 2

Divide current window vertically into two.

start-kbd-macro C-x ( Start macro definition.
stop-shell-subjob C-c C-z Suspend current job.
suspend-emacs C-z

Suspend Emacs (use fg to restart).

switch-to-buffer C-x b Move to the buffer specified.

switch-to-buffer-other-frame

C-x 5 b

Select a buffer in another frame.

switch-to-buffer-other- window

C-x 4 b

Select a buffer in the other window.

text-mode (none)

Enter text mode.

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

Undo the last word abbreviation.

universal-argument C-u n

Repeat the next command n times.

upcase-region C-x C-u Uppercase region.
upcase-word M-u Uppercase word.
view-emacs-news C-h n

View news about updates to Emacs.

view-lossage C-h l

What are the last 100 characters I typed?

where-is C-h w

What is the key binding for this command?

write-abbrev-file (none)

Write the word abbreviation file.

write-file C-x C-w Write buffer contents to file.
yank C-y Restore what you've deleted.



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