Keys

By Topic

Macros

C-x ( – kmacro-start-macro
Use C-x ) to finish recording and make the macro available.
Use C-x e to execute the macro. After hitting C-x e to run it once, keep hitting just the 'e' key for repeated execution.
Use M-x kmacro-name-last-macro to give it a permanent name.
Use M-x kmacro-bind-to-key to bind it to a key sequence.

Appending to a macro

Non-nil arg (prefix arg) means append to last macro defined.
So, with C-u prefix, append to last keyboard macro defined.
Depending on `kmacro-execute-before-append', this may begin by re-executing the last macro as if you typed it again.
Otherwise, it sets kmacro-counter to ARG or 0 if missing before defining the macro.

Counters

Use M-x kmacro-insert-counter to insert (and increment) the macro counter.
The counter value can be set or modified via M-x kmacro-set-counter and M-x kmacro-add-counter.
The format of the counter can be modified via M-x kmacro-set-format.

Handy

key	Description
C-x z	Repeat most recently executed command.
C-x M-:	Edit and re-evaluate last complex command (or arg-th from last.)
M-x list-matching-lines	shows you all the lines in a buffer that match some regexp
M-t	transpose-words. Use negative prefix to go the other way.
fill-paragraph (Alt-p)	intelligently line-wraps your text for you: an absolute must, and it works inside source-code comments.
`M-q`	“fills” (word-wraps) what you’re on. It honors comments, bulleted lists, indentation, and other little things. I use it in programming modes to fill comments and I use it in text, HTML, and GXP modes to automatically split up long lines.
`C-/`	is Undo
`M-/`	expands the word you’re on (useful for long variable/function names)
`C-c /`	/ in HTML mode will close the last open tag
`C-x p -`	p - runs p4 diff and shows you the results in an editable buffer
`M-\`	deletes all whitespace at the cursor location
`M-space`	replaces all whitespace with one space
`C-x C-o`	`delete-blank-lines`. Also see `delete-trailing-whitespace`, `tabify`, `untabify`, `indent-region`, etc.
`M-m`	Jump to first non-blank character in line (use instead of C-a TAB.
`M-x occur`	Display in a separate buffer the list of all lines in the current buffer that match a regex.
`C-M-s`	Regular expression incremental search
`M-%`	Query replace (M-x re-builder)
`M-C-%`	Query regex replace (M-x query-replace-regex)
`C-x r SPC register`	Record the position of point and the current buffer in register r (point-to- register).
`C-x r j register`	Jump to the position and buffer saved in register r (jump-to-register).
`C-s C-s`	Search for most recently searched item
`C-s M-p`	Previous item in search history
`C-s M-n`	Next item in search history
`C-x n n`	Narrow buffer to the current region
`C-x n w`	Restore ("widen") buffer
`C-y`	Yanks last killed text
`M-y`	Replace yanked text with previously killed text
`C-w`	Kill region ("cut")
`M-w`	Save region to kill ring without deleting ("copy")
`M-z`	M-z (Zap), similar to df in vim, but can go to other lines
`M-g g`	Jump to specified line
`C-SPC`	Set mark to the current location
`C-x C-x`	Swap point and mark
`C-x r <SPC>`	Record the position of point and the current buffer in register
`C-x r j`	Jump to the position and buffer saved in register

From Cool Keys in Emacs

File Handling Commands

key	function	Description
`C-x C-f`	find-file	Find a file and read it to screen.
`C-x C-v`	find-alternate-file	Read a different file.
`C-x i`	insert-file	Insert a file at the cursors position.
`C-x C-s`	save-buffer	Save the current buffer.
`C-x C-w`	write-file	Write the contents of the buffer to a file.
`C-x C-c`	save-buffers-kill-emacs	Save all open buffers and get out of emacs.
`C-z`	suspend-emacs	Suspend emacs.

Cursor Movement Commands

key	function	Description
`C-f`	forward-char	Move cursor one character.
`C-b`	backward-char	Move backward one character.
`C-p`	previous-line	Move up one line.
`C-n`	next-line	Move down one line.
`M-f`	forward-word	Move to the next word. (words are defined by whitespace/special characters.)
`M-b`	backward-word	Move to the previous word.
`C-a`	beginning-of-line	Move to the beginning of the line.
`C-e`	end-of-line	Move to the end of the line.
`M-a`	backward-sentence	Move back one sentence.
`C-v`	scroll-up	Scroll up one screen.
`M-v`	scroll-down	Scroll down one screen.
`C-x [`	backward-page	Go back one page.
`C-x ]`	forward-page	Go forward one page.
`M->`	end-of-buffer	Move to end of buffer.
`M-<`	beginning-of-buffer	Move to beginning of the current buffer.
`C-l`	recenter	Redraw the screen with the current line in the center.
`M-(a number)`	digit-argument	Do the next command (a number) of times.

Deletion Commands

key	function	Description
`Del`	backward-delete-char	Delete the previous character.
`C-d`	delete-char	Delete the character under the cursor.
`M-Del`	backward-kill-word	Delete the previous word.
`C-k`	kill-line	Delete from the cursor to the end of line.
`M-k`	kill-sentence	Delete the sentence the cursor is in.
`C-x Del`	backward-kill-sentence	Delete the previous sentence.
`C-y`	yank	Restore deleted text at cursor.
`C-w`	kill-region	Delete a marked region.
	backward-kill-paragraph	Delete the previous paragraph.
	kill-paragraph	Delete from the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

Paragraphs and Regions

key	function	Description
`C-@`	set-mark	Mark the beginning (or end) of a region.
`C-Space`	set-mark	Ibid.
`C-x C-p`	mark-page	Mark the current page.
`C-x C-x`	exchange-point-and-make	Exchange the location of the cursor and the mark.
`C-x h`	mark-whole-buffer	Mark the current buffer.
`M-q`	fill-paragraph	Reset the paragraph.
`M-g`	fill-region	Reformat individual paragraphs with region.
`M-h`	mark-paragraph	Mark select paragraph.

Stopping and Undoing Commands

key	function	Description
`C-g`	keyboard-quit	Stop current command Now!
`C-x u`	advertised-undo	Undo the last edit (do it often)
	revert-buffer	Return the buffer to the state when last autosaved.

Transposition Commands

key	function	Description
`C-t`	transpose-chars	Transpose the two letters.
`M-t`	transpose-words	Switch two words.
`C-x C-t`	transpose-lines	Switch two lines.
	transpose-sentences	Switch two sentences.
	transpose-paragraphs	Switch two paragraphs.

Capitalization Commands

key	function	Description
`M-c`	capitalize-word	Capitalize the first letter of the current word.
`M-u`	upcase-word	Make the word all uppercase.
`M-l`	downcase-word	Make the word all lowercase.
`C-x C-l`	downcase-region	Make the region all lowercase.
`C-x C-u`	uppercase-region	Make the region all uppercase.

Incremental Search Commands

key	function	Description
`C-s`	isearch-forward	Start an incremental search forward.
`C-r`	isearch-backward	Starts an incremental search in the reverse direction.
`C-w`		During isearch, adds the word following point to the search buffer.
`C-y`		During isearch, adds the rest of the current line to the search buffer.
`M-y`		Yank at isearch prompt
`Meta`		Stop a successful search.
`C-g`	keyboard-quit	Stop searching and return to the starting point.
`Del`		Delete an incorrect character whilst searching.

Word Abbreviation Commands

key	function	Description
	abbrev-mode	Enter abbreviation mode.
`C-x -`	inverse-add-global-abbrev	Type in a global abbreviation, then its meaning.
`C-x C-h`	inverse-add-local-abbrev	Type in a local abbreviation, then its meaning.
	unexpand-abbrev	Undo the last word abbreviation.
	write-abbrev-file	Write out the word abbreviation file.
	edit-abbrevs	Edit the current word abbreviations.
	list-abbrevs	View the current word abbreviations.
	kill-all-abbrevs	Kill any abreviations for this session.

Buffer Manipulation Commands

key	function	Description
`C-x b`	switch-to-buffer	Move to the specified buffer.
`C-x C-b`	list-buffers	Display the list of currently active buffers.
`C-x k`	kill-buffer	Kill the current buffer
	kill-some-buffers	Ask about deleting each buffer currently active.
	rename-buffer	Rename the current buffer to something else.
`C-x s`	save-some-buffers	Ask whether to save each modified buffer

Window Commands

key	function	Description
`C-x 2`	split-window-horizontally	Divide the current window horizontally in two.
`C-x 3`	split-windws-vertically	Divide the current window vertically in two.
`C-x >`	scroll-right	Scroll the window right.
`C-x <`	scroll-left	Scroll the window left.
`C-x 0`	delete-window	Delete the current window.
`C-x 1`	delete-other-windows	Delete all the windows except this one`.
	delete-windows-on	Delete all windows open to a particular buffer.
`C-x ^`	enlarge-window	Make the current window taller.
	shrink-window	Make the current window smaller.
`C-x }`	enlarge-window-horizontally	Make the window wider.
`C-x {`	shrink-window-horizontally	Make the window less wide.
`M-C-v`	scroll-other-window	Scroll the other window.
`C-x 4 f`	find-file-other-window	Find a file in the other window.
`C-x 4 b`	switch-to-buffer-other-window	Select a buffer in the other window.
	compare-windows	Compare two buffers and show the first difference.

Special Shell Characters

key	function	Description
	shell	Start a shell.
`C-c C-c`	interrupt-shell-subjob	Terminate the current job in a shell.
`C-c C-d`	send-shell-eof	Send the EOF character (Ctrl-d)
`C-c C-u`	kill-shell-input	Erase the current line.
`C-c C-w`	backward-kill-word	Erase the previous word.
`C-c C-z`	stop-shell-subjob	Suspend the current shell job.

Indentation Commands

key	function	Description
`C-x`	set-fill-prefix	Prepend each line in paragraph with characters from beginning of the line up to the current cursor column. cancel by doing this in column 1.
`M-C-\`	indent-region	Indent a region to match the first line in region.
`M-m`	back-to-indentation	Move the cursor to first character in line.
`M-C-o`	split-line	Split line at cursor into two lines... weird.
	fill-individual-paragraphs	Reformat indented paragraphs, keep indentation.

Centering Commands

key	function	Description
`M-s`	center-line	Center the current line.
	center-paragraph	Center the paragraph that the cursor is on.
	center-region	Center the currently defined region.

Macro Commands

key	function	Description
`C-x (`	start-kbd-macro	Start a new macro definition.
`C-x )`	end-kbd-macro	End the current macro definition.
`C-x e`	call-last-kbd-macro	Execute the last defined macro.
`M-(number) C-x e`	call-last-kbd-maco	Do that last macro (number times).
`C-u C-x (`	stat-kbd-macro	Execute last macro and add to it.
	name-last-kbd-macro	Name the last macro before saving it.
	insert-last-keyboard-macro	Insert the macro you made into a file.
	load-file	Load a file with macros in it.
`C-x q`	kbd-macro-query	Insert a query into a keyboard macro.
`M-C-c`	exit-recursive-edit	Get the hell out of a recursive edit.

Detail Information Help Commands

key	function	Description
`C-h a`	command-apropos	What commands work like this...?
	apropos	What functions and variables work like this...?
`C-h c`	describe-key-briefly	What command does this key sequence do?
`C-h b`	describe-bindings	What are the key bindings for this buffer?
`C-h k`	describe-key	What command does this sequence do, and tell me about it.
`C-h l`	view-lossage	What are the last 100 characters typed?
`C-h w`	where-is	What is the key binding for this?
`C-h f`	describe-function	What does this function do?
`C-h v`	describe-variable	What is this variable?
`C-h m`	describe-mode	Tell me about this mode.
`C-h s`	describe-syntax	What is the syntax table for this buffer?

keys