Learning GNU Emacs, Third Edition

• Chapter 1 Emacs Basics
• Chapter 2 Editing
• Chapter 3 Search and Replace
• Chapter 4 Using Buffers, Windows, and Frames
• Chapter 5 Emacs as a Work Environment
• Chapter 6 Writing Macros
• Chapter 7 Simple Text Formatting and Specialized Editing
• Chapter 8 Markup Language Support
• Chapter 9 Computer Language Support
• Chapter 10 Customizing Emacs
• Chapter 11 Emacs Lisp Programming
• Chapter 12 Version Control
• Chapter 13 Platform-Specific Considerations
• Chapter 14 The Help System

Chapter 1 Emacs Basics

• open file: c-x c-f
• open file replace current buffer: c-x c-v
• insert from another file: c-x i
• save file: c-x c-s
• save file with another name: c-x c-w
• quit emacs: c-x c-c

Chapter 2 Editing

Editing Tricks and Shortcuts

• transposition: c-t, m-t, c-x c-t
• change capitalization: m-c, m-u, m-l
• overwrite mode: the Insert key or m-x ov

Canceling Commands and Undoing Changes

• redo: after undo, move the cursor, then undo again
• revert a buffer: m-x revert-buffer

Making Emacs Work the Way You Want

• turn on CUA mode: (cua-mode t nil (cua-base))
• remap keys: (define-key global-map "\C-x\C-u" 'undo)

Chapter 3 Search and Replace

Different Kinds of Searches

• search word under cursor: c-s c-w

Search and Replace

• query-replace: m-%

during query-replace

• y: replace and go to next
• n: don't replace, go to next
• .: replace and quit
• ,: replace and wait (see the result)
• !: replace all
• ^: back to previous
• q: exit
• E: modify replacment string
• c-r: enter recursive edit
• c-w: delete and enter recursive edit
• c-m-c: exit recursive edit and resume query-replace
• c-]: exit recursive edit and edit query-replace

Chapter 4 Using Buffers, Windows, and Frames

More About Windows

• split window vertically: c-x 2
• split window horizontally: c-x 3
• delete window: c-x 0
• delete other window: c-x 1
• other window: c-x o
• enlarge window: c-x ^
• enlarge/shrink window horizontally: c-x } / c-x {
• shrink if large than buffer: c-x -
• balance windows: c-x +
• scroll other window: c-m-v
• find file other window: c-x 4 f
• select buffer other window: c-x 4 b
• compare windows: m-x compare-windows

Holding Your Place with Bookmarks

• set bookmark: c-x r m
• move to a bookmark: c-x r b
• bookmark list: c-x r l

Chapter 5 Emacs as a Work Environment

Executing Commands in Shell Buffers

• insert command output: m-!
• pipe region to shell command: m-|

Using Dired, the Directory Editor

(too many, check online)

Chapter 6 Writing Macros

• start recording: <f3>
• end recording or call: <f4>
• execute last macro: c-x e
• name last macro: c-x c-k n
• bind to key: c-x c-k b
• edit last macro: c-x c-k <enter>
• apply macro to region: c-x c-k r

Chapter 7 Simple Text Formatting and Specialized Editing

• literal tab: c-q <tab>
• change tab width: (setq-default tab-width 4)
• insert space rather than tab: (setq-default indent-tabs-mode nil)
• change tabs to spaces (and vice versa): untabify and tabify
• new line and indent: c-j
• munge into one line: m-q
• indent region: `c-m-‘
• indent by 10 spaces: m-10 c-x <tab>
• move to first nonblank character: m-m
• split line: c-m-o
• set fill prefixes: c-x .
• centering text: m-o m-s
• join line to previous: m-^

Rectangle Editing

• set mark: c-<space>
• kill: c-x r k
• delete: c-x r d
• yank: c-x r y
• clear (replace with spaces): c-x r c
• open (fill with spaces): c-x r o
• change: c-x r t

Making Simple Drawings

(funny)

Chapter 8 Markup Language Support

Comments

• indent for comment: m-;
• new comment line and indent (can also use to split comment): m-j
• comment block of code: m-x comment-region

(html-mode is not useful anymore, use emmet-mode instead)

Chapter 9 Computer Language Support

etags

• read tag table: m-x visit-tags-table
• find tag: m-.
• back to previous: m-*
• find tag but open in other window: c-x 4 .
• continue find tag: m-,
• search: m-x tags-search

motion commands

• move to beginning: m-m
• new line and indent: c-j
• join line to previous: m-^
• move to beginning of statement: m-a
• move to end of statement: m-e
• move to beginning of defun: c-m-a
• move to end of defun: c-m-e
• mark function: c-m-h

Chapter 10 Customizing Emacs

Customizing Your Key Bindings

c-x, esc and c-c are bound to special internal functions that cause emacs to wait for another key to be pressed.

three functions are available for creating key bindings:

• (define-key keymap "keystroke" 'command-name)
• (global-set-key "keystroke" 'command-name)
• (local-set-key "keystroke" 'command-name)

where keymap can be global-map, 'ctl-x-map, esc-map` etc...

; these 3 are same
(global-set-key "\C-xl" 'goto-line)
(define-key global-map "\C-xl" 'goto-line)
(define-key ctl-x-map "l" 'goto-line)

unset key bindings:

(global-unset-key [f5])
(define-key ctl-x-map "l" nil)

Chapter 11 Emacs Lisp Programming

Introduction to Lisp

syntax of function: (function-name argument1 argument2 ...)

Atoms:

• Integers
• Floating point numbers
• Characters: preceded by a question mark: ?a or \e or ?\C-a
• Strings: surrounded by double quotes, can be split across multiple lines, until the closing quote.
• Booleans: t for true and nil for false
• Symbols: use when refer to the name instead of its value. preceding with single quote: 'function-name

assign values to variable, use setq:

(setq auto-save-interval 800)

let construct:

(let ((var1 value1) (var2 value2) ... )
    statement-block)

while loop

(while condition statement-block)

sample

(defun count-words-buffer ()
"Count the number of words in the current buffer;
print a message in the minibuffer with the result."
    (interactive)
    (save-excursion
        (let ((count 0))
        (goto-char (point-min))
        (while (< (point) (point-max))
            (forward-word 1)
            (setq count (1+ count)))
        (message "buffer contains %d words." count))))

Lisp Primitive Functions

statement block

(progn
    statement-block)
(let (var1 var2 ...)
    statement-block)
(let (var1 (var2 value2) var3 ...)
    statement-block)

control structures

(if condition 
    true-case
    false-block)
(cond
    (condition1 statement-block1)
    (condition2 statement-block2)
    ...)

Lists

(list 2 3 4 5)
(cons 1 (list 2 3 4 5))
(car (list 1 2 3 4 5)) ; 1
(cdr (list 1 2 3 4 5)) ; (2 3 4 5)

lambda

(lambda (args)
    code)
(setq var-name
    '(lambda ()
        code))

mode hook

(setq mode-name-hook
    '(lambda ()
        code for mode hook))

set load-path

(setq load-path (append load-path (list "some directory"))) ; all arguments to append must be lists

if you want your code to be searched first, use cons

(setq load-path (cons "some directory" load-path))

to load file, m-x load-library or:

(load "package-name")

autoload

(autoload 'function "filename")

Chapter 12 Version Control

(use magit instead, much better)

Chapter 13 Platform-Specific Considerations

(no notes)

Chapter 14 The Help System

(no notes)

[END]