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1010 lines
40 KiB
Plaintext
@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
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@c Copyright (C) 1985, 86, 87, 93, 94, 95, 1997 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
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@node Glossary, Key Index, Intro, Top
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@unnumbered Glossary
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@table @asis
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@item Abbrev
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An abbrev is a text string which expands into a different text string
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when present in the buffer. For example, you might define a few letters
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as an abbrev for a long phrase that you want to insert frequently.
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@xref{Abbrevs}.
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@item Aborting
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Aborting means getting out of a recursive edit (q.v.@:). The
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commands @kbd{C-]} and @kbd{M-x top-level} are used for this.
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@xref{Quitting}.
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@item Alt
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Alt is the name of a modifier bit which a keyboard input character may
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have. To make a character Alt, type it while holding down the @key{ALT}
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key. Such characters are given names that start with @kbd{Alt-}
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(usually written @kbd{A-} for short). (Note that many terminals have a
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key labeled @key{ALT} which is really a @key{META} key.) @xref{User
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Input, Alt}.
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@item ASCII character
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An ASCII character is either an ASCII control character or an ASCII
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printing character. @xref{User Input}.
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@item ASCII control character
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An ASCII control character is the Control version of an upper-case
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letter, or the Control version of one of the characters @samp{@@[\]^_?}.
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@item ASCII printing character
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ASCII printing characters include letters, digits, space, and these
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punctuation characters: @samp{!@@#$%^& *()_-+=|\~` @{@}[]:;"' <>,.?/}.
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@item Auto Fill Mode
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Auto Fill mode is a minor mode in which text that you insert is
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automatically broken into lines of fixed width. @xref{Filling}.
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@item Auto Saving
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Auto saving is the practice of saving the contents of an Emacs buffer in
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a specially-named file, so that the information will not be lost if the
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buffer is lost due to a system error or user error. @xref{Auto Save}.
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@item Backup File
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A backup file records the contents that a file had before the current
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editing session. Emacs makes backup files automatically to help you
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track down or cancel changes you later regret making. @xref{Backup}.
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@item Balance Parentheses
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Emacs can balance parentheses manually or automatically. Manual
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balancing is done by the commands to move over balanced expressions
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(@pxref{Lists}). Automatic balancing is done by blinking or
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highlighting the parenthesis that matches one just inserted
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(@pxref{Matching,,Matching Parens}).
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@item Bind
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To bind a key sequence means to give it a binding (q.v.@:).
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@xref{Rebinding}.
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@item Binding
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A key sequence gets its meaning in Emacs by having a binding, which is a
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command (q.v.@:), a Lisp function that is run when the user types that
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sequence. @xref{Commands,Binding}. Customization often involves
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rebinding a character to a different command function. The bindings of
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all key sequences are recorded in the keymaps (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}.
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@item Blank Lines
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Blank lines are lines that contain only whitespace. Emacs has several
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commands for operating on the blank lines in the buffer.
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@item Buffer
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The buffer is the basic editing unit; one buffer corresponds to one text
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being edited. You can have several buffers, but at any time you are
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editing only one, the `selected' buffer, though several can be visible
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when you are using multiple windows (q.v.). Most buffers are visiting
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(q.v.@:) some file. @xref{Buffers}.
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@item Buffer Selection History
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Emacs keeps a buffer selection history which records how recently each
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Emacs buffer has been selected. This is used for choosing a buffer to
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select. @xref{Buffers}.
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@item Button Down Event
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A button down event is the kind of input event generated right away when
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you press a mouse button. @xref{Mouse Buttons}.
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@item @kbd{C-}
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@kbd{C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for Control.
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@xref{User Input,C-}.
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@item @kbd{C-M-}
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@kbd{C-M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for
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Control-Meta. @xref{User Input,C-M-}.
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@item Case Conversion
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Case conversion means changing text from upper case to lower case or
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vice versa. @xref{Case}, for the commands for case conversion.
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@item Character
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Characters form the contents of an Emacs buffer; see @ref{Text
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Characters}. Also, key sequences (q.v.@:) are usually made up of
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characters (though they may include other input events as well).
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@xref{User Input}.
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@item Character Set
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Emacs supports a number of character sets, each of which represents a
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particular alphabet or script. @xref{International}.
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@item Click Event
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A click event is the kind of input event generated when you press a
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mouse button and release it without moving the mouse. @xref{Mouse Buttons}.
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@item Coding System
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A coding system is an encoding for representing text characters in a
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file or in a stream of information. Emacs has the ability to convert
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text to or from a variety of coding systems when reading or writing it.
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@xref{Coding Systems}.
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@item Command
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A command is a Lisp function specially defined to be able to serve as a
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key binding in Emacs. When you type a key sequence (q.v.@:), its
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binding (q.v.@:) is looked up in the relevant keymaps (q.v.@:) to find
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the command to run. @xref{Commands}.
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@item Command Name
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A command name is the name of a Lisp symbol which is a command
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(@pxref{Commands}). You can invoke any command by its name using
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@kbd{M-x} (@pxref{M-x}).
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@item Comment
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A comment is text in a program which is intended only for humans reading
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the program, and which is marked specially so that it will be ignored
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when the program is loaded or compiled. Emacs offers special commands
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for creating, aligning and killing comments. @xref{Comments}.
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@item Compilation
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Compilation is the process of creating an executable program from source
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code. Emacs has commands for compiling files of Emacs Lisp code
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(@pxref{Byte Compilation,, Byte Compilation, elisp, the Emacs Lisp
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Reference Manual}) and programs in C and other languages
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(@pxref{Compilation}).
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@item Complete Key
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A complete key is a key sequence which fully specifies one action to be
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performed by Emacs. For example, @kbd{X} and @kbd{C-f} and @kbd{C-x m}
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are complete keys. Complete keys derive their meanings from being bound
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(q.v.@:) to commands (q.v.@:). Thus, @kbd{X} is conventionally bound to
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a command to insert @samp{X} in the buffer; @kbd{C-x m} is
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conventionally bound to a command to begin composing a mail message.
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@xref{Keys}.
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@item Completion
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Completion is what Emacs does when it automatically fills out an
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abbreviation for a name into the entire name. Completion is done for
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minibuffer (q.v.@:) arguments when the set of possible valid inputs
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is known; for example, on command names, buffer names, and
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file names. Completion occurs when @key{TAB}, @key{SPC} or @key{RET}
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is typed. @xref{Completion}.@refill
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@item Continuation Line
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When a line of text is longer than the width of the window, it
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takes up more than one screen line when displayed. We say that the
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text line is continued, and all screen lines used for it after the
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first are called continuation lines. @xref{Basic,Continuation,Basic
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Editing}.
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@item Control Character
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A control character is a character that you type by holding down the
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@key{CTRL} key. Some control characters also have their own keys, so
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that you can type them without using @key{CTRL}. For example,
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@key{RET}, @key{TAB}, @key{ESC} and @key{DEL} are all control
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characters. @xref{User Input}.
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@item Copyleft
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A copyleft is a notice giving the public legal permission to
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redistribute a program or other work of art. Copylefts are used by
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left-wing programmers to promote freedom and cooperation, just as
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copyrights are used by right-wing programmers to gain power over other
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people.
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The particular form of copyleft used by the GNU project is called the
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GNU General Public License. @xref{Copying}.
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@item Current Buffer
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The current buffer in Emacs is the Emacs buffer on which most editing
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commands operate. You can select any Emacs buffer as the current one.
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@xref{Buffers}.
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@item Current Line
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The line point is on (@pxref{Point}).
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@item Current Paragraph
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The paragraph that point is in. If point is between paragraphs, the
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current paragraph is the one that follows point. @xref{Paragraphs}.
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@item Current Defun
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The defun (q.v.@:) that point is in. If point is between defuns, the
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current defun is the one that follows point. @xref{Defuns}.
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@item Cursor
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The cursor is the rectangle on the screen which indicates the position
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called point (q.v.@:) at which insertion and deletion takes place.
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The cursor is on or under the character that follows point. Often
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people speak of `the cursor' when, strictly speaking, they mean
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`point'. @xref{Basic,Cursor,Basic Editing}.
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@item Customization
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Customization is making minor changes in the way Emacs works. It is
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often done by setting variables (@pxref{Variables}) or by rebinding
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key sequences (@pxref{Keymaps}).
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@item Default Argument
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The default for an argument is the value that will be assumed if you
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do not specify one. When the minibuffer is used to read an argument,
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the default argument is used if you just type @key{RET}.
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@xref{Minibuffer}.
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@item Default Directory
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When you specify a file name that does not start with @samp{/} or @samp{~},
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it is interpreted relative to the current buffer's default directory.
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@xref{Minibuffer File,Default Directory}.
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@item Defun
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A defun is a list at the top level of parenthesis or bracket structure
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in a program. It is so named because most such lists in Lisp programs
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are calls to the Lisp function @code{defun}. @xref{Defuns}.
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@item @key{DEL}
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@key{DEL} is a character that runs the command to delete one character of
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text. @xref{Basic,DEL,Basic Editing}.
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@item Deletion
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Deletion means erasing text without copying it into the kill ring
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(q.v.@:). The alternative is killing (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing,Deletion}.
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@item Deletion of Files
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Deleting a file means erasing it from the file system.
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@xref{Misc File Ops}.
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@item Deletion of Messages
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Deleting a message means flagging it to be eliminated from your mail
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file. Until you expunge (q.v.@:) the Rmail file, you can still undelete
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the messages you have deleted. @xref{Rmail Deletion}.
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@item Deletion of Windows
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Deleting a window means eliminating it from the screen. Other windows
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expand to use up the space. The deleted window can never come back,
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but no actual text is thereby lost. @xref{Windows}.
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@item Directory
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File directories are named collections in the file system, within which
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you can place individual files or subdirectories. @xref{Directories}.
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@item Dired
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Dired is the Emacs facility that displays the contents of a file
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directory and allows you to ``edit the directory,'' performing
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operations on the files in the directory. @xref{Dired}.
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@item Disabled Command
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A disabled command is one that you may not run without special
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confirmation. The usual reason for disabling a command is that it is
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confusing for beginning users. @xref{Disabling}.
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@item Down Event
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Short for `button down event'.
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@item Drag Event
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A drag event is the kind of input event generated when you press a mouse
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button, move the mouse, and then release the button. @xref{Mouse
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Buttons}.
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@item Dribble File
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A file into which Emacs writes all the characters that the user types
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on the keyboard. Dribble files are used to make a record for
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debugging Emacs bugs. Emacs does not make a dribble file unless you
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tell it to. @xref{Bugs}.
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@item Echo Area
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The echo area is the bottom line of the screen, used for echoing the
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arguments to commands, for asking questions, and printing brief messages
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(including error messages). The messages are stored in the buffer
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@samp{*Messages*} so you can review them later. @xref{Echo Area}.
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@item Echoing
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Echoing is acknowledging the receipt of commands by displaying them (in
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the echo area). Emacs never echoes single-character key sequences;
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longer key sequences echo only if you pause while typing them.
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@item Electric
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We say that a character is electric if it is normally self-inserting
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(q.v.), but the current major mode (q.v.) redefines it to do something
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else as well. For example, some programming language major modes define
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particular delimiter characters to reindent the line or insert one or
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more newlines in addition to self-insertion.
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@item Error
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An error occurs when an Emacs command cannot execute in the current
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circumstances. When an error occurs, execution of the command stops
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(unless the command has been programmed to do otherwise) and Emacs
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reports the error by printing an error message (q.v.@:). Type-ahead
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is discarded. Then Emacs is ready to read another editing command.
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@item Error Message
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An error message is a single line of output displayed by Emacs when the
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user asks for something impossible to do (such as, killing text
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forward when point is at the end of the buffer). They appear in the
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echo area, accompanied by a beep.
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@item @key{ESC}
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@key{ESC} is a character used as a prefix for typing Meta characters on
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keyboards lacking a @key{META} key. Unlike the @key{META} key (which,
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like the @key{SHIFT} key, is held down while another character is
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typed), you press the @key{ESC} key as you would press a letter key, and
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it applies to the next character you type.
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@item Expunging
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Expunging an Rmail file or Dired buffer is an operation that truly
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discards the messages or files you have previously flagged for deletion.
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@item File Locking
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Emacs used file locking to notice when two different users
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start to edit one file at the same time. @xref{Interlocking}.
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@item File Name
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A file name is a name that refers to a file. File names may be relative
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or absolute; the meaning of a relative file name depends on the current
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directory, but an absolute file name refers to the same file regardless
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of which directory is current. On GNU and Unix systems, an absolute
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file name starts with a slash (the root directory) or with @samp{~/} or
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@samp{~@var{user}/} (a home directory).
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Some people use the term ``pathname'' for file names, but we do not;
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we use the word ``path'' only in the term ``search path'' (q.v.).
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@item File-Name Component
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A file-name component names a file directly within a particular
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directory. On GNU and Unix systems, a file name is a sequence of
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file-name components, separated by slashes. For example, @file{foo/bar}
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is a file name containing two components, @samp{foo} and @samp{bar}; it
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refers to the file named @samp{bar} in the directory named @samp{foo} in
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the current directory.
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@item Fill Prefix
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The fill prefix is a string that should be expected at the beginning
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of each line when filling is done. It is not regarded as part of the
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text to be filled. @xref{Filling}.
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@item Filling
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Filling text means shifting text between consecutive lines so that all
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the lines are approximately the same length. @xref{Filling}.
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@item Formatted Text
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Formatted text is text that displays with formatting information while
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you edit. Formatting information includes fonts, colors, and specified
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margins. @xref{Formatted Text}.
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@item Frame
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A frame is a rectangular cluster of Emacs windows. Emacs starts out
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with one frame, but you can create more. You can subdivide each frame
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into Emacs windows (q.v.). When you are using X windows, all the frames
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can be visible at the same time. @xref{Frames}.
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@item Function Key
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A function key is a key on the keyboard that sends input but does not
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correspond to any character. @xref{Function Keys}.
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@item Global
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Global means `independent of the current environment; in effect
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throughout Emacs'. It is the opposite of local (q.v.@:). Particular
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examples of the use of `global' appear below.
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@item Global Abbrev
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A global definition of an abbrev (q.v.@:) is effective in all major
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modes that do not have local (q.v.@:) definitions for the same abbrev.
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@xref{Abbrevs}.
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@item Global Keymap
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The global keymap (q.v.@:) contains key bindings that are in effect
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except when overridden by local key bindings in a major mode's local
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keymap (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}.
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@item Global Mark Ring
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The global mark ring records the series of buffers you have recently set
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a mark in. In many cases you can use this to backtrack through buffers
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you have been editing in, or in which you have found tags. @xref{Global
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Mark Ring}.
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@item Global Substitution
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Global substitution means replacing each occurrence of one string by
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another string through a large amount of text. @xref{Replace}.
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@item Global Variable
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The global value of a variable (q.v.@:) takes effect in all buffers
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that do not have their own local (q.v.@:) values for the variable.
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@xref{Variables}.
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@item Graphic Character
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Graphic characters are those assigned pictorial images rather than
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just names. All the non-Meta (q.v.@:) characters except for the
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Control (q.v.@:) characters are graphic characters. These include
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letters, digits, punctuation, and spaces; they do not include
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@key{RET} or @key{ESC}. In Emacs, typing a graphic character inserts
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that character (in ordinary editing modes). @xref{Basic,,Basic Editing}.
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@item Highlighting
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Highlighting text means displaying it with a different foreground and/or
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background color to make it stand out from the rest of the text in the
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buffer.
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@item Hardcopy
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Hardcopy means printed output. Emacs has commands for making printed
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listings of text in Emacs buffers. @xref{Hardcopy}.
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@item @key{HELP}
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@key{HELP} is the Emacs name for @kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}. You can type
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@key{HELP} at any time to ask what options you have, or to ask what any
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command does. @xref{Help}.
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@item Hyper
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Hyper is the name of a modifier bit which a keyboard input character may
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have. To make a character Hyper, type it while holding down the
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@key{HYPER} key. Such characters are given names that start with
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@kbd{Hyper-} (usually written @kbd{H-} for short). @xref{User Input,
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Hyper}.
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@item Inbox
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An inbox is a file in which mail is delivered by the operating system.
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Rmail transfers mail from inboxes to Rmail files (q.v.@:) in which the
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mail is then stored permanently or until explicitly deleted.
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@xref{Rmail Inbox}.
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@item Indentation
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Indentation means blank space at the beginning of a line. Most
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programming languages have conventions for using indentation to
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illuminate the structure of the program, and Emacs has special
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commands to adjust indentation.
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@xref{Indentation}.
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@item Indirect Buffer
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An indirect buffer is a buffer that shares the text of another buffer,
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called its base buffer. @xref{Indirect Buffers}.
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@item Input Event
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An input event represents, within Emacs, one action taken by the user on
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the terminal. Input events include typing characters, typing function
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keys, pressing or releasing mouse buttons, and switching between Emacs
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frames. @xref{User Input}.
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@item Input Method
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An input method is a system for entering non-ASCII text characters by
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typing sequences of ASCII characters (q.v.@:). @xref{Input Methods}.
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@item Insertion
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Insertion means copying text into the buffer, either from the keyboard
|
|
or from some other place in Emacs.
|
|
|
|
@item Interlocking
|
|
Interlocking is a feature for warning when you start to alter a file
|
|
that someone else is already editing. @xref{Interlocking,,Simultaneous
|
|
Editing}.
|
|
|
|
@item Justification
|
|
Justification means adding extra spaces to lines of text to make them
|
|
come exactly to a specified width. @xref{Filling,Justification}.
|
|
|
|
@item Keyboard Macro
|
|
Keyboard macros are a way of defining new Emacs commands from
|
|
sequences of existing ones, with no need to write a Lisp program.
|
|
@xref{Keyboard Macros}.
|
|
|
|
@item Key Sequence
|
|
A key sequence (key, for short) is a sequence of input events (q.v.@:)
|
|
that are meaningful as a single unit. If the key sequence is enough to
|
|
specify one action, it is a complete key (q.v.@:); if it is not enough,
|
|
it is a prefix key (q.v.@:). @xref{Keys}.
|
|
|
|
@item Keymap
|
|
The keymap is the data structure that records the bindings (q.v.@:) of
|
|
key sequences to the commands that they run. For example, the global
|
|
keymap binds the character @kbd{C-n} to the command function
|
|
@code{next-line}. @xref{Keymaps}.
|
|
|
|
@item Keyboard Translation Table
|
|
The keyboard translation table is an array that translates the character
|
|
codes that come from the terminal into the character codes that make up
|
|
key sequences. @xref{Keyboard Translations}.
|
|
|
|
@item Kill Ring
|
|
The kill ring is where all text you have killed recently is saved.
|
|
You can reinsert any of the killed text still in the ring; this is
|
|
called yanking (q.v.@:). @xref{Yanking}.
|
|
|
|
@item Killing
|
|
Killing means erasing text and saving it on the kill ring so it can be
|
|
yanked (q.v.@:) later. Some other systems call this ``cutting.''
|
|
Most Emacs commands to erase text do killing, as opposed to deletion
|
|
(q.v.@:). @xref{Killing}.
|
|
|
|
@item Killing Jobs
|
|
Killing a job (such as, an invocation of Emacs) means making it cease
|
|
to exist. Any data within it, if not saved in a file, is lost.
|
|
@xref{Exiting}.
|
|
|
|
@item Language Environment
|
|
Your choice of language environment specifies defaults for the input
|
|
method (q.v.@:) and coding system (q.v.@:). @xref{Language
|
|
Environments}. These defaults are relevant if you edit non-ASCII text
|
|
(@pxref{International}).
|
|
|
|
@item List
|
|
A list is, approximately, a text string beginning with an open
|
|
parenthesis and ending with the matching close parenthesis. In C mode
|
|
and other non-Lisp modes, groupings surrounded by other kinds of matched
|
|
delimiters appropriate to the language, such as braces, are also
|
|
considered lists. Emacs has special commands for many operations on
|
|
lists. @xref{Lists}.
|
|
|
|
@item Local
|
|
Local means `in effect only in a particular context'; the relevant
|
|
kind of context is a particular function execution, a particular
|
|
buffer, or a particular major mode. It is the opposite of `global'
|
|
(q.v.@:). Specific uses of `local' in Emacs terminology appear below.
|
|
|
|
@item Local Abbrev
|
|
A local abbrev definition is effective only if a particular major mode
|
|
is selected. In that major mode, it overrides any global definition
|
|
for the same abbrev. @xref{Abbrevs}.
|
|
|
|
@item Local Keymap
|
|
A local keymap is used in a particular major mode; the key bindings
|
|
(q.v.@:) in the current local keymap override global bindings of the
|
|
same key sequences. @xref{Keymaps}.
|
|
|
|
@item Local Variable
|
|
A local value of a variable (q.v.@:) applies to only one buffer.
|
|
@xref{Locals}.
|
|
|
|
@item @kbd{M-}
|
|
@kbd{M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for @key{META},
|
|
one of the modifier keys that can accompany any character.
|
|
@xref{User Input}.
|
|
|
|
@item @kbd{M-C-}
|
|
@kbd{M-C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for
|
|
Control-Meta; it means the same thing as @kbd{C-M-}. If your
|
|
terminal lacks a real @key{META} key, you type a Control-Meta character by
|
|
typing @key{ESC} and then typing the corresponding Control character.
|
|
@xref{User Input,C-M-}.
|
|
|
|
@item @kbd{M-x}
|
|
@kbd{M-x} is the key sequence which is used to call an Emacs command by
|
|
name. This is how you run commands that are not bound to key sequences.
|
|
@xref{M-x}.
|
|
|
|
@item Mail
|
|
Mail means messages sent from one user to another through the computer
|
|
system, to be read at the recipient's convenience. Emacs has commands for
|
|
composing and sending mail, and for reading and editing the mail you have
|
|
received. @xref{Sending Mail}. @xref{Rmail}, for how to read mail.
|
|
|
|
@item Mail Composition Method
|
|
A mail composition method is a program runnable within Emacs for editing
|
|
and sending a mail message. Emacs lets you select from several
|
|
alternative mail composition methods. @xref{Mail Methods}.
|
|
|
|
@item Major Mode
|
|
The Emacs major modes are a mutually exclusive set of options, each of
|
|
which configures Emacs for editing a certain sort of text. Ideally,
|
|
each programming language has its own major mode. @xref{Major Modes}.
|
|
|
|
@item Mark
|
|
The mark points to a position in the text. It specifies one end of the
|
|
region (q.v.@:), point being the other end. Many commands operate on
|
|
all the text from point to the mark. Each buffer has its own mark.
|
|
@xref{Mark}.
|
|
|
|
@item Mark Ring
|
|
The mark ring is used to hold several recent previous locations of the
|
|
mark, just in case you want to move back to them. Each buffer has its
|
|
own mark ring; in addition, there is a single global mark ring (q.v.).
|
|
@xref{Mark Ring}.
|
|
|
|
@item Menu Bar
|
|
The menu bar is the line at the top of an Emacs frame. It contains
|
|
words you can click on with the mouse to bring up menus. The menu bar
|
|
feature is supported only with X. @xref{Menu Bars}.
|
|
|
|
@item Message
|
|
See `mail'.
|
|
|
|
@item Meta
|
|
Meta is the name of a modifier bit which a command character may have.
|
|
It is present in a character if the character is typed with the
|
|
@key{META} key held down. Such characters are given names that start
|
|
with @kbd{Meta-} (usually written @kbd{M-} for short). For example,
|
|
@kbd{M-<} is typed by holding down @key{META} and at the same time
|
|
typing @kbd{<} (which itself is done, on most terminals, by holding
|
|
down @key{SHIFT} and typing @kbd{,}). @xref{User Input,Meta}.
|
|
|
|
@item Meta Character
|
|
A Meta character is one whose character code includes the Meta bit.
|
|
|
|
@item Minibuffer
|
|
The minibuffer is the window that appears when necessary inside the
|
|
echo area (q.v.@:), used for reading arguments to commands.
|
|
@xref{Minibuffer}.
|
|
|
|
@item Minibuffer History
|
|
The minibuffer history records the text you have specified in the past
|
|
for minibuffer arguments, so you can conveniently use the same text
|
|
again. @xref{Minibuffer History}.
|
|
|
|
@item Minor Mode
|
|
A minor mode is an optional feature of Emacs which can be switched on
|
|
or off independently of all other features. Each minor mode has a
|
|
command to turn it on or off. @xref{Minor Modes}.
|
|
|
|
@item Minor Mode Keymap
|
|
A keymap that belongs to a minor mode and is active when that mode is
|
|
enabled. Minor mode keymaps take precedence over the buffer's local
|
|
keymap, just as the local keymap takes precedence over the global
|
|
keymap. @xref{Keymaps}.
|
|
|
|
@item Mode Line
|
|
The mode line is the line at the bottom of each window (q.v.@:), giving
|
|
status information on the buffer displayed in that window. @xref{Mode
|
|
Line}.
|
|
|
|
@item Modified Buffer
|
|
A buffer (q.v.@:) is modified if its text has been changed since the
|
|
last time the buffer was saved (or since when it was created, if it
|
|
has never been saved). @xref{Saving}.
|
|
|
|
@item Moving Text
|
|
Moving text means erasing it from one place and inserting it in
|
|
another. The usual way to move text by killing (q.v.@:) and then
|
|
yanking (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing}.
|
|
|
|
@item MULE
|
|
MULE refers to the Emacs features for editing non-ASCII text
|
|
using multibyte characters (q.v.@:). @xref{International}.
|
|
|
|
@item Multibyte Character
|
|
A multibyte character is a character that takes up several buffer
|
|
positions. Emacs uses multibyte characters to represent non-ASCII text,
|
|
since the number of non-ASCII characters is much more than 256.
|
|
@xref{International Intro}.
|
|
|
|
@item Named Mark
|
|
A named mark is a register (q.v.@:) in its role of recording a
|
|
location in text so that you can move point to that location.
|
|
@xref{Registers}.
|
|
|
|
@item Narrowing
|
|
Narrowing means creating a restriction (q.v.@:) that limits editing in
|
|
the current buffer to only a part of the text in the buffer. Text
|
|
outside that part is inaccessible to the user until the boundaries are
|
|
widened again, but it is still there, and saving the file saves it
|
|
all. @xref{Narrowing}.
|
|
|
|
@item Newline
|
|
Control-J characters in the buffer terminate lines of text and are
|
|
therefore also called newlines. @xref{Text Characters,Newline}.
|
|
|
|
@item Numeric Argument
|
|
A numeric argument is a number, specified before a command, to change
|
|
the effect of the command. Often the numeric argument serves as a
|
|
repeat count. @xref{Arguments}.
|
|
|
|
@item Overwrite Mode
|
|
Overwrite mode is a minor mode. When it is enabled, ordinary text
|
|
characters replace the existing text after point rather than pushing
|
|
it to the right. @xref{Minor Modes}.
|
|
|
|
@item Page
|
|
A page is a unit of text, delimited by formfeed characters (ASCII
|
|
control-L, code 014) coming at the beginning of a line. Some Emacs
|
|
commands are provided for moving over and operating on pages.
|
|
@xref{Pages}.
|
|
|
|
@item Paragraph
|
|
Paragraphs are the medium-size unit of English text. There are
|
|
special Emacs commands for moving over and operating on paragraphs.
|
|
@xref{Paragraphs}.
|
|
|
|
@item Parsing
|
|
We say that certain Emacs commands parse words or expressions in the
|
|
text being edited. Really, all they know how to do is find the other
|
|
end of a word or expression. @xref{Syntax}.
|
|
|
|
@item Point
|
|
Point is the place in the buffer at which insertion and deletion
|
|
occur. Point is considered to be between two characters, not at one
|
|
character. The terminal's cursor (q.v.@:) indicates the location of
|
|
point. @xref{Basic,Point}.
|
|
|
|
@item Prefix Argument
|
|
See `numeric argument'.
|
|
|
|
@item Prefix Key
|
|
A prefix key is a key sequence (q.v.@:) whose sole function is to
|
|
introduce a set of longer key sequences. @kbd{C-x} is an example of
|
|
prefix key; any two-character sequence starting with @kbd{C-x} is
|
|
therefore a legitimate key sequence. @xref{Keys}.
|
|
|
|
@item Primary Rmail File
|
|
Your primary Rmail file is the file named @samp{RMAIL} in your home
|
|
directory. That's where Rmail stores your incoming mail, unless you
|
|
specify a different file name. @xref{Rmail}.
|
|
|
|
@item Primary Selection
|
|
The primary selection is one particular X selection (q.v.@:); it is the
|
|
selection that most X applications use for transferring text to and from
|
|
other applications.
|
|
|
|
The Emacs kill commands set the primary selection and the yank command
|
|
uses the primary selection when appropriate. @xref{Killing}.
|
|
|
|
@item Prompt
|
|
A prompt is text printed to ask the user for input. Displaying a prompt
|
|
is called prompting. Emacs prompts always appear in the echo area
|
|
(q.v.@:). One kind of prompting happens when the minibuffer is used to
|
|
read an argument (@pxref{Minibuffer}); the echoing which happens when
|
|
you pause in the middle of typing a multi-character key sequence is also
|
|
a kind of prompting (@pxref{Echo Area}).
|
|
|
|
@item Quitting
|
|
Quitting means canceling a partially typed command or a running
|
|
command, using @kbd{C-g} (or @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} on MS-DOS). @xref{Quitting}.
|
|
|
|
@item Quoting
|
|
Quoting means depriving a character of its usual special significance.
|
|
The most common kind of quoting in Emacs is with @kbd{C-q}. What
|
|
constitutes special significance depends on the context and on
|
|
convention. For example, an ``ordinary'' character as an Emacs command
|
|
inserts itself; so in this context, a special character is any character
|
|
that does not normally insert itself (such as @key{DEL}, for example),
|
|
and quoting it makes it insert itself as if it were not special. Not
|
|
all contexts allow quoting. @xref{Basic,Quoting,Basic Editing}.
|
|
|
|
@item Quoting File Names
|
|
Quoting a file name turns off the special significance of constructs
|
|
such as @samp{$}, @samp{~} and @samp{:}. @xref{Quoted File Names}.
|
|
|
|
@item Read-Only Buffer
|
|
A read-only buffer is one whose text you are not allowed to change.
|
|
Normally Emacs makes buffers read-only when they contain text which
|
|
has a special significance to Emacs; for example, Dired buffers.
|
|
Visiting a file that is write-protected also makes a read-only buffer.
|
|
@xref{Buffers}.
|
|
|
|
@item Rectangle
|
|
A rectangle consists of the text in a given range of columns on a given
|
|
range of lines. Normally you specify a rectangle by putting point at
|
|
one corner and putting the mark at the opposite corner.
|
|
@xref{Rectangles}.
|
|
|
|
@item Recursive Editing Level
|
|
A recursive editing level is a state in which part of the execution of
|
|
a command involves asking the user to edit some text. This text may
|
|
or may not be the same as the text to which the command was applied.
|
|
The mode line indicates recursive editing levels with square brackets
|
|
(@samp{[} and @samp{]}). @xref{Recursive Edit}.
|
|
|
|
@item Redisplay
|
|
Redisplay is the process of correcting the image on the screen to
|
|
correspond to changes that have been made in the text being edited.
|
|
@xref{Screen,Redisplay}.
|
|
|
|
@item Regexp
|
|
See `regular expression'.
|
|
|
|
@item Region
|
|
The region is the text between point (q.v.@:) and the mark (q.v.@:).
|
|
Many commands operate on the text of the region. @xref{Mark,Region}.
|
|
|
|
@item Registers
|
|
Registers are named slots in which text or buffer positions or
|
|
rectangles can be saved for later use. @xref{Registers}.
|
|
|
|
@item Regular Expression
|
|
A regular expression is a pattern that can match various text strings;
|
|
for example, @samp{l[0-9]+} matches @samp{l} followed by one or more
|
|
digits. @xref{Regexps}.
|
|
|
|
@item Repeat Count
|
|
See `numeric argument'.
|
|
|
|
@item Replacement
|
|
See `global substitution'.
|
|
|
|
@item Restriction
|
|
A buffer's restriction is the amount of text, at the beginning or the
|
|
end of the buffer, that is temporarily inaccessible. Giving a buffer a
|
|
nonzero amount of restriction is called narrowing (q.v.@:).
|
|
@xref{Narrowing}.
|
|
|
|
@item @key{RET}
|
|
@key{RET} is a character that in Emacs runs the command to insert a
|
|
newline into the text. It is also used to terminate most arguments
|
|
read in the minibuffer (q.v.@:). @xref{User Input,Return}.
|
|
|
|
@item Rmail File
|
|
An Rmail file is a file containing text in a special format used by
|
|
Rmail for storing mail. @xref{Rmail}.
|
|
|
|
@item Saving
|
|
Saving a buffer means copying its text into the file that was visited
|
|
(q.v.@:) in that buffer. This is the way text in files actually gets
|
|
changed by your Emacs editing. @xref{Saving}.
|
|
|
|
@item Scroll Bar
|
|
A scroll bar is a tall thin hollow box that appears at the side of a
|
|
window. You can use mouse commands in the scroll bar to scroll the
|
|
window. The scroll bar feature is supported only with X. @xref{Scroll
|
|
Bars}.
|
|
|
|
@item Scrolling
|
|
Scrolling means shifting the text in the Emacs window so as to see a
|
|
different part of the buffer. @xref{Display,Scrolling}.
|
|
|
|
@item Searching
|
|
Searching means moving point to the next occurrence of a specified
|
|
string or the next match for a specified regular expression.
|
|
@xref{Search}.
|
|
|
|
@item Search Path
|
|
A search path is a list of directory names, to be used for searching for
|
|
files for certain purposes. For example, the variable @code{load-path}
|
|
holds a search path for finding Lisp library files. @xref{Lisp Libraries}.
|
|
|
|
@item Secondary Selection
|
|
The secondary selection is one particular X selection; some X
|
|
applications can use it for transferring text to and from other
|
|
applications. Emacs has special mouse commands for transferring text
|
|
using the secondary selection. @xref{Secondary Selection}.
|
|
|
|
@item Selecting
|
|
Selecting a buffer means making it the current (q.v.@:) buffer.
|
|
@xref{Buffers,Selecting}.
|
|
|
|
@item Selection
|
|
The X window system allows an application program to specify named
|
|
selections whose values are text. A program can also read the
|
|
selections that other programs have set up. This is the principal way
|
|
of transferring text between window applications. Emacs has commands to
|
|
work with the primary (q.v.@:) selection and the secondary (q.v.@:)
|
|
selection.
|
|
|
|
@item Self-Documentation
|
|
Self-documentation is the feature of Emacs which can tell you what any
|
|
command does, or give you a list of all commands related to a topic
|
|
you specify. You ask for self-documentation with the help character,
|
|
@kbd{C-h}. @xref{Help}.
|
|
|
|
@item Self-Inserting Character
|
|
A character is self-inserting if typing that character inserts that
|
|
character in the buffer. Ordinary printing and whitespace characters
|
|
are self-inserting in Emacs, except in certain special major modes.
|
|
|
|
@item Sentences
|
|
Emacs has commands for moving by or killing by sentences.
|
|
@xref{Sentences}.
|
|
|
|
@item Sexp
|
|
A sexp (short for `s-expression') is the basic syntactic unit of Lisp
|
|
in its textual form: either a list, or Lisp atom. Many Emacs commands
|
|
operate on sexps. The term `sexp' is generalized to languages other
|
|
than Lisp, to mean a syntactically recognizable expression.
|
|
@xref{Lists,Sexps}.
|
|
|
|
@item Simultaneous Editing
|
|
Simultaneous editing means two users modifying the same file at once.
|
|
Simultaneous editing if not detected can cause one user to lose his
|
|
work. Emacs detects all cases of simultaneous editing and warns one of
|
|
the users to investigate. @xref{Interlocking,,Simultaneous Editing}.
|
|
|
|
@item String
|
|
A string is a kind of Lisp data object which contains a sequence of
|
|
characters. Many Emacs variables are intended to have strings as
|
|
values. The Lisp syntax for a string consists of the characters in the
|
|
string with a @samp{"} before and another @samp{"} after. A @samp{"}
|
|
that is part of the string must be written as @samp{\"} and a @samp{\}
|
|
that is part of the string must be written as @samp{\\}. All other
|
|
characters, including newline, can be included just by writing them
|
|
inside the string; however, backslash sequences as in C, such as
|
|
@samp{\n} for newline or @samp{\241} using an octal character code, are
|
|
allowed as well.
|
|
|
|
@item String Substitution
|
|
See `global substitution'.
|
|
|
|
@item Syntax Table
|
|
The syntax table tells Emacs which characters are part of a word,
|
|
which characters balance each other like parentheses, etc.
|
|
@xref{Syntax}.
|
|
|
|
@item Super
|
|
Super is the name of a modifier bit which a keyboard input character may
|
|
have. To make a character Super, type it while holding down the
|
|
@key{SUPER} key. Such characters are given names that start with
|
|
@kbd{Super-} (usually written @kbd{s-} for short). @xref{User Input,
|
|
Super}.
|
|
|
|
@item Tags Table
|
|
A tags table is a file that serves as an index to the function
|
|
definitions in one or more other files. @xref{Tags}.
|
|
|
|
@item Termscript File
|
|
A termscript file contains a record of all characters sent by Emacs to
|
|
the terminal. It is used for tracking down bugs in Emacs redisplay.
|
|
Emacs does not make a termscript file unless you tell it to.
|
|
@xref{Bugs}.
|
|
|
|
@item Text
|
|
Two meanings (@pxref{Text}):
|
|
|
|
@itemize @bullet
|
|
@item
|
|
Data consisting of a sequence of characters, as opposed to binary
|
|
numbers, images, graphics commands, executable programs, and the like.
|
|
The contents of an Emacs buffer are always text in this sense.
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@item
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Data consisting of written human language, as opposed to programs,
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or following the stylistic conventions of human language.
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@end itemize
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@item Top Level
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Top level is the normal state of Emacs, in which you are editing the
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text of the file you have visited. You are at top level whenever you
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are not in a recursive editing level (q.v.@:) or the minibuffer
|
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(q.v.@:), and not in the middle of a command. You can get back to top
|
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level by aborting (q.v.@:) and quitting (q.v.@:). @xref{Quitting}.
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@item Transposition
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Transposing two units of text means putting each one into the place
|
|
formerly occupied by the other. There are Emacs commands to transpose
|
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two adjacent characters, words, sexps (q.v.@:) or lines
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(@pxref{Transpose}).
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@item Truncation
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Truncating text lines in the display means leaving out any text on a
|
|
line that does not fit within the right margin of the window
|
|
displaying it. See also `continuation line'.
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@xref{Basic,Truncation,Basic Editing}.
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@item Undoing
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Undoing means making your previous editing go in reverse, bringing
|
|
back the text that existed earlier in the editing session.
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|
@xref{Undo}.
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@item User Option
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A user option is a variable (q.v.@:) that exists so that you can customize
|
|
Emacs by setting it to a new value. @xref{Variables}.
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@item Variable
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|
A variable is an object in Lisp that can store an arbitrary value.
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|
Emacs uses some variables for internal purposes, and has others (known
|
|
as `user options' (q.v.@:)) just so that you can set their values to
|
|
control the behavior of Emacs. The variables used in Emacs that you
|
|
are likely to be interested in are listed in the Variables Index in
|
|
this manual. @xref{Variables}, for information on variables.
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|
|
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@item Version Control
|
|
Version control systems keep track of multiple versions of a source file.
|
|
They provide a more powerful alternative to keeping backup files (q.v.@:).
|
|
@xref{Version Control}.
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|
|
|
@item Visiting
|
|
Visiting a file means loading its contents into a buffer (q.v.@:)
|
|
where they can be edited. @xref{Visiting}.
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|
|
|
@item Whitespace
|
|
Whitespace is any run of consecutive formatting characters (space,
|
|
tab, newline, and backspace).
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|
|
|
@item Widening
|
|
Widening is removing any restriction (q.v.@:) on the current buffer;
|
|
it is the opposite of narrowing (q.v.@:). @xref{Narrowing}.
|
|
|
|
@item Window
|
|
Emacs divides a frame (q.v.@:) into one or more windows, each of which
|
|
can display the contents of one buffer (q.v.@:) at any time.
|
|
@xref{Screen}, for basic information on how Emacs uses the screen.
|
|
@xref{Windows}, for commands to control the use of windows.
|
|
|
|
@item Word Abbrev
|
|
Synonymous with `abbrev'.
|
|
|
|
@item Word Search
|
|
Word search is searching for a sequence of words, considering the
|
|
punctuation between them as insignificant. @xref{Word Search}.
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|
|
|
@item WYSIWYG
|
|
WYSIWYG stands for `What you see is what you get.' Emacs generally
|
|
provides WYSIWYG editing for files of characters; in Enriched mode
|
|
(@pxref{Formatted Text}), it provides WYSIWYG editing for files that
|
|
include text formatting information.
|
|
|
|
@item Yanking
|
|
Yanking means reinserting text previously killed. It can be used to
|
|
undo a mistaken kill, or for copying or moving text. Some other
|
|
systems call this ``pasting.'' @xref{Yanking}.
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|
@end table
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