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 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 |
Delete 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 another frame. |
find-file-other-window |
C-x 4 f |
Find a file in another 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 |
Delete 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 |
M-% |
Search for and replace a string. |
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-command |
M-! |
Prompt for a shell command and run it. |
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 another window. |
text-mode |
(none) |
Enter text mode. |
transpose-chars |
C-t |
Transpose two characters. |
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 |
Copyright © 2003 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved.