Add new command 'ensure-empty-lines'.

* doc/lispref/text.texi (Commands for Insertion): Document it.

* lisp/emacs-lisp/subr-x.el (ensure-empty-lines): New command.

doc/lispref/text.texi

@@ -599,6 +599,19 @@ This command indents to the left margin if that is not zero.
 The value returned is @code{nil}.
 @end deffn
 
+@deffn Command ensure-empty-lines &optional number-of-empty-lines
+This command can be used to ensure that you have a specific number of
+empty lines before point.  (An ``empty line'' is here defined as a
+line with no characters on it---a line with space characters isn't an
+empty line.)  It defaults to ensuring that there's a single empty line
+before point.
+
+If point isn't at the beginning of a line, a newline character is
+inserted first.  If there's more empty lines before point than
+specified, the number of empty lines is reduced.  Otherwise it's
+increased to the specified number.
+@end deffn
+
 @defvar overwrite-mode
 This variable controls whether overwrite mode is in effect.  The value
 should be @code{overwrite-mode-textual}, @code{overwrite-mode-binary},

etc/NEWS

@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ This change also affects 'cl-macrolet', 'cl-flet*' and
 This can be set to nil to inhibit translating upper case keys to lower
 case keys.
 
++++
+** New command 'ensure-empty-lines'.
+This command increases (or decreases) the number of empty lines before
+point.
+
 
 * Changes in Specialized Modes and Packages in Emacs 29.1
 

lisp/emacs-lisp/subr-x.el

@@ -412,6 +412,32 @@ and return the value found in PLACE instead."
                ,(funcall setter val)
                ,val)))))
 
+;;;###autoload
+(defun ensure-empty-lines (&optional lines)
+  "Ensure that there's LINES number of empty lines before point.
+If LINES is nil or missing, a this ensures that there's a single
+empty line before point.
+
+Interactively, this command uses the numerical prefix for LINES.
+
+If there's already more empty lines before point than LINES, the
+number of blank lines will be reduced.
+
+If point is not at the beginning of a line, a newline character
+is inserted before adjusting the number of empty lines."
+  (interactive "p")
+  (unless (bolp)
+    (insert "\n"))
+  (let ((lines (or lines 1))
+        (start (save-excursion
+                 (if (re-search-backward "[^\n]" nil t)
+                     (+ (point) 2)
+                   (point-min)))))
+    (cond
+     ((> (- (point) start) lines)
+      (delete-region (point) (- (point) (- (point) start lines))))
+     ((< (- (point) start) lines)
+      (insert (make-string (- lines (- (point) start)) ?\n))))))
 
 (provide 'subr-x)
 

test/lisp/emacs-lisp/subr-x-tests.el

@@ -638,5 +638,43 @@
   (should (equal (string-chop-newline "foo\nbar\n") "foo\nbar"))
   (should (equal (string-chop-newline "foo\nbar") "foo\nbar")))
 
+(ert-deftest subr-ensure-empty-lines ()
+  (should
+   (equal
+    (with-temp-buffer
+      (insert "foo")
+      (goto-char (point-min))
+      (ensure-empty-lines 2)
+      (buffer-string))
+    "\n\nfoo"))
+  (should
+   (equal
+    (with-temp-buffer
+      (insert "foo")
+      (ensure-empty-lines 2)
+      (buffer-string))
+    "foo\n\n\n"))
+  (should
+   (equal
+    (with-temp-buffer
+      (insert "foo\n")
+      (ensure-empty-lines 2)
+      (buffer-string))
+    "foo\n\n\n"))
+  (should
+   (equal
+    (with-temp-buffer
+      (insert "foo\n\n\n\n\n")
+      (ensure-empty-lines 2)
+      (buffer-string))
+    "foo\n\n\n"))
+  (should
+   (equal
+    (with-temp-buffer
+      (insert "foo\n\n\n")
+      (ensure-empty-lines 0)
+      (buffer-string))
+    "foo\n")))
+
 (provide 'subr-x-tests)
 ;;; subr-x-tests.el ends here