mirror of
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/emacs.git
synced 2024-12-16 09:50:25 +00:00
82 lines
3.3 KiB
Plaintext
82 lines
3.3 KiB
Plaintext
@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
|
|
@c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003,
|
|
@c 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
|
|
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
|
|
@node M-x, Help, Minibuffer, Top
|
|
@chapter Running Commands by Name
|
|
|
|
Every Emacs command has a name that you can use to run it. Commands
|
|
that are used often, or that must be quick to type, are also bound to
|
|
keys---short sequences of characters---for convenient use. You can
|
|
run them by typing the keys, or run them by name if you don't remember
|
|
the keys. Other Emacs commands that do not need to be quick are not
|
|
bound to keys; the only way to run them is by name. @xref{Key
|
|
Bindings}, for the description of how to bind commands to keys.
|
|
|
|
By convention, a command name consists of one or more words,
|
|
separated by hyphens; for example, @code{auto-fill-mode} or
|
|
@code{manual-entry}. The use of English words makes the command name
|
|
easier to remember than a key made up of obscure characters, even
|
|
though it is more characters to type.
|
|
|
|
@kindex M-x
|
|
The way to run a command by name is to start with @kbd{M-x}, type the
|
|
command name, and finish it with @key{RET}. @kbd{M-x} uses the
|
|
minibuffer to read the command name. @key{RET} exits the minibuffer and
|
|
runs the command. The string @samp{M-x} appears at the beginning of the
|
|
minibuffer as a @dfn{prompt} to remind you to enter the name of a
|
|
command to be run. @xref{Minibuffer}, for full information on the
|
|
features of the minibuffer.
|
|
|
|
You can use completion to enter the command name. For example, you
|
|
can invoke the command @code{forward-char} by name by typing either
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
M-x forward-char @key{RET}
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
or
|
|
|
|
@example
|
|
M-x forw @key{TAB} c @key{RET}
|
|
@end example
|
|
|
|
@noindent
|
|
Note that @code{forward-char} is the same command that you invoke with
|
|
the key @kbd{C-f}. You can run any Emacs command by name using
|
|
@kbd{M-x}, whether or not any keys are bound to it.
|
|
|
|
If you type @kbd{C-g} while the command name is being read, that
|
|
cancels the @kbd{M-x} command and exits the minibuffer, so you end up
|
|
back at command level.
|
|
|
|
To pass a numeric argument to the command you are invoking with
|
|
@kbd{M-x}, specify the numeric argument before the @kbd{M-x}. @kbd{M-x}
|
|
passes the argument along to the command it runs. The argument value
|
|
appears in the prompt while the command name is being read.
|
|
|
|
@vindex suggest-key-bindings
|
|
If the command you type has a key binding of its own, Emacs mentions
|
|
this in the echo area after running the command. For example, if you
|
|
type @kbd{M-x forward-word}, the message says that you can run the
|
|
same command more easily by typing @kbd{M-f}. You can turn off these
|
|
messages by setting the variable @code{suggest-key-bindings} to
|
|
@code{nil}.
|
|
|
|
Normally, when describing in this manual a command that is run by
|
|
name, we omit the @key{RET} that is needed to terminate the name. Thus
|
|
we might speak of @kbd{M-x auto-fill-mode} rather than @kbd{M-x
|
|
auto-fill-mode @key{RET}}. We mention the @key{RET} only when there is
|
|
a need to emphasize its presence, such as when we show the command
|
|
together with following arguments.
|
|
|
|
@findex execute-extended-command
|
|
@kbd{M-x} works by running the command
|
|
@code{execute-extended-command}, which is responsible for reading the
|
|
name of another command and invoking it.
|
|
|
|
@ignore
|
|
arch-tag: b67bff53-9628-4666-b94e-eda972a7ba56
|
|
@end ignore
|