1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001,
3 @c 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
6 @chapter Miscellaneous Commands
8 This chapter contains several brief topics that do not fit anywhere
9 else: reading netnews, running shell commands and shell subprocesses,
10 using a single shared Emacs for utilities that expect to run an editor
11 as a subprocess, printing hardcopy, sorting text, narrowing display to
12 part of the buffer, editing double-column files and binary files,
13 saving an Emacs session for later resumption, following hyperlinks,
14 browsing images, emulating other editors, and various diversions and
23 @node Gnus, Shell, Calendar/Diary, Top
26 @cindex reading netnews
28 Gnus is an Emacs package primarily designed for reading and posting
29 Usenet news. It can also be used to read and respond to messages from a
30 number of other sources---mail, remote directories, digests, and so on.
32 Here we introduce Gnus and describe several basic features.
34 For full details, see @ref{Top, Gnus,, gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
37 For full details on Gnus, type @kbd{M-x info} and then select the Gnus
42 To start Gnus, type @kbd{M-x gnus @key{RET}}.
45 * Buffers of Gnus:: The group, summary, and article buffers.
46 * Gnus Startup:: What you should know about starting Gnus.
47 * Summary of Gnus:: A short description of the basic Gnus commands.
51 @subsection Gnus Buffers
53 Unlike most Emacs packages, Gnus uses several buffers to display
54 information and to receive commands. The three Gnus buffers users use
55 most are the @dfn{group buffer}, the @dfn{summary buffer} and the
58 The @dfn{group buffer} contains a list of newsgroups. This is the
59 first buffer Gnus displays when it starts up. It normally displays
60 only the groups to which you subscribe and that contain unread
61 articles. Use this buffer to select a specific group.
63 The @dfn{summary buffer} lists one line for each article in a single
64 group. By default, the author, the subject and the line number are
65 displayed for each article, but this is customizable, like most aspects
66 of Gnus display. The summary buffer is created when you select a group
67 in the group buffer, and is killed when you exit the group. Use this
68 buffer to select an article.
70 The @dfn{article buffer} displays the article. In normal Gnus usage,
71 you see this buffer but you don't select it---all useful
72 article-oriented commands work in the summary buffer. But you can
73 select the article buffer, and execute all Gnus commands from that
74 buffer, if you want to.
77 @subsection When Gnus Starts Up
79 At startup, Gnus reads your @file{.newsrc} news initialization file
80 and attempts to communicate with the local news server, which is a
81 repository of news articles. The news server need not be the same
82 computer you are logged in on.
84 If you start Gnus and connect to the server, but do not see any
85 newsgroups listed in the group buffer, type @kbd{L} or @kbd{A k} to get
86 a listing of all the groups. Then type @kbd{u} to toggle
87 subscription to groups.
89 The first time you start Gnus, Gnus subscribes you to a few selected
90 groups. All other groups start out as @dfn{killed groups} for you; you
91 can list them with @kbd{A k}. All new groups that subsequently come to
92 exist at the news server become @dfn{zombie groups} for you; type @kbd{A
93 z} to list them. You can subscribe to a group shown in these lists
94 using the @kbd{u} command.
96 When you quit Gnus with @kbd{q}, it automatically records in your
97 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.eld} initialization files the
98 subscribed or unsubscribed status of all groups. You should normally
99 not edit these files manually, but you may if you know how.
101 @node Summary of Gnus
102 @subsection Summary of Gnus Commands
104 Reading news is a two-step process:
108 Choose a group in the group buffer.
111 Select articles from the summary buffer. Each article selected is
112 displayed in the article buffer in a large window, below the summary
113 buffer in its small window.
116 Each Gnus buffer has its own special commands; the meanings of any
117 given key in the various Gnus buffers are usually analogous, even if
118 not identical. Here are commands for the group and summary buffers:
121 @kindex q @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
122 @findex gnus-group-exit
124 In the group buffer, update your @file{.newsrc} initialization file
127 In the summary buffer, exit the current group and return to the
128 group buffer. Thus, typing @kbd{q} twice quits Gnus.
130 @kindex L @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
131 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
133 In the group buffer, list all the groups available on your news
134 server (except those you have killed). This may be a long list!
136 @kindex l @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
137 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
139 In the group buffer, list only the groups to which you subscribe and
140 which contain unread articles.
142 @kindex u @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
143 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
144 @cindex subscribe groups
145 @cindex unsubscribe groups
147 In the group buffer, unsubscribe from (or subscribe to) the group listed
148 in the line that point is on. When you quit Gnus by typing @kbd{q},
149 Gnus lists in your @file{.newsrc} file which groups you have subscribed
150 to. The next time you start Gnus, you won't see this group,
151 because Gnus normally displays only subscribed-to groups.
153 @kindex C-k @r{(Gnus)}
154 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
156 In the group buffer, ``kill'' the current line's group---don't
157 even list it in @file{.newsrc} from now on. This affects future
158 Gnus sessions as well as the present session.
160 When you quit Gnus by typing @kbd{q}, Gnus writes information
161 in the file @file{.newsrc} describing all newsgroups except those you
164 @kindex SPC @r{(Gnus)}
165 @findex gnus-group-read-group
167 In the group buffer, select the group on the line under the cursor
168 and display the first unread article in that group.
171 In the summary buffer,
175 Select the article on the line under the cursor if none is selected.
178 Scroll the text of the selected article (if there is one).
181 Select the next unread article if at the end of the current article.
184 Thus, you can move through all the articles by repeatedly typing @key{SPC}.
186 @kindex DEL @r{(Gnus)}
188 In the group buffer, move point to the previous group containing
191 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
192 In the summary buffer, scroll the text of the article backwards.
195 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
196 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
198 Move point to the next unread group, or select the next unread article.
201 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
202 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
204 Move point to the previous unread group, or select the previous
207 @kindex C-n @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
208 @findex gnus-group-next-group
209 @kindex C-p @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
210 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
211 @kindex C-n @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
212 @findex gnus-summary-next-subject
213 @kindex C-p @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
214 @findex gnus-summary-prev-subject
217 Move point to the next or previous item, even if it is marked as read.
218 This does not select the article or group on that line.
220 @kindex s @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
221 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
223 In the summary buffer, do an incremental search of the current text in
224 the article buffer, just as if you switched to the article buffer and
227 @kindex M-s @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
228 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
229 @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
230 In the summary buffer, search forward for articles containing a match
237 @subsection Where to Look Further
239 @c Too many references to the name of the manual if done with xref in TeX!
240 Gnus is powerful and customizable. Here are references to a few
246 additional topics in @cite{The Gnus Manual}:
250 Follow discussions on specific topics.@*
251 See section ``Threading.''
254 Read digests. See section ``Document Groups.''
257 Refer to and jump to the parent of the current article.@*
258 See section ``Finding the Parent.''
261 Refer to articles by using Message-IDs included in the messages.@*
262 See section ``Article Keymap.''
265 Save articles. See section ``Saving Articles.''
268 Have Gnus score articles according to various criteria, like author
269 name, subject, or string in the body of the articles.@*
270 See section ``Scoring.''
273 Send an article to a newsgroup.@*
274 See section ``Composing Messages.''
280 Follow discussions on specific topics.@*
281 @xref{Threading, , Reading Based on Conversation Threads,
282 gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
285 Read digests. @xref{Document Groups, , , gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
288 Refer to and jump to the parent of the current article.@*
289 @xref{Finding the Parent, , , gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
292 Refer to articles by using Message-IDs included in the messages.@*
293 @xref{Article Keymap, , , gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
296 Save articles. @xref{Saving Articles, , , gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
299 Have Gnus score articles according to various criteria, like author
300 name, subject, or string in the body of the articles.@*
301 @xref{Scoring, , , gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
304 Send an article to a newsgroup.@*
305 @xref{Composing Messages, , , gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
310 @node Shell, Emacs Server, Gnus, Top
311 @section Running Shell Commands from Emacs
313 @cindex shell commands
315 Emacs has commands for passing single command lines to inferior shell
316 processes; it can also run a shell interactively with input and output
317 to an Emacs buffer named @samp{*shell*} or run a shell inside a terminal
321 @item M-! @var{cmd} @key{RET}
322 Run the shell command line @var{cmd} and display the output
323 (@code{shell-command}).
324 @item M-| @var{cmd} @key{RET}
325 Run the shell command line @var{cmd} with region contents as input;
326 optionally replace the region with the output
327 (@code{shell-command-on-region}).
329 Run a subshell with input and output through an Emacs buffer.
330 You can then give commands interactively.
332 Run a subshell with input and output through an Emacs buffer.
333 You can then give commands interactively.
334 Full terminal emulation is available.
337 @kbd{M-x eshell} invokes a shell implemented entirely in Emacs. It
338 is documented in a separate manual. @xref{Top,Eshell,Eshell, eshell,
339 Eshell: The Emacs Shell}.
342 * Single Shell:: How to run one shell command and return.
343 * Interactive Shell:: Permanent shell taking input via Emacs.
344 * Shell Mode:: Special Emacs commands used with permanent shell.
345 * Shell Prompts:: Two ways to recognize shell prompts.
346 * History: Shell History. Repeating previous commands in a shell buffer.
347 * Directory Tracking:: Keeping track when the subshell changes directory.
348 * Options: Shell Options. Options for customizing Shell mode.
349 * Terminal emulator:: An Emacs window as a terminal emulator.
350 * Term Mode:: Special Emacs commands used in Term mode.
351 * Paging in Term:: Paging in the terminal emulator.
352 * Remote Host:: Connecting to another computer.
356 @subsection Single Shell Commands
359 @findex shell-command
360 @kbd{M-!} (@code{shell-command}) reads a line of text using the
361 minibuffer and executes it as a shell command in a subshell made just
362 for that command. Standard input for the command comes from the null
363 device. If the shell command produces any output, the output appears
364 either in the echo area (if it is short), or in an Emacs buffer named
365 @samp{*Shell Command Output*}, which is displayed in another window
366 but not selected (if the output is long).
368 For instance, one way to decompress a file @file{foo.gz} from Emacs
369 is to type @kbd{M-! gunzip foo.gz @key{RET}}. That shell command
370 normally creates the file @file{foo} and produces no terminal output.
372 A numeric argument, as in @kbd{M-1 M-!}, says to insert terminal
373 output into the current buffer instead of a separate buffer. It puts
374 point before the output, and sets the mark after the output. For
375 instance, @kbd{M-1 M-! gunzip < foo.gz @key{RET}} would insert the
376 uncompressed equivalent of @file{foo.gz} into the current buffer.
378 If the shell command line ends in @samp{&}, it runs asynchronously.
379 For a synchronous shell command, @code{shell-command} returns the
380 command's exit status (0 means success), when it is called from a Lisp
381 program. You do not get any status information for an asynchronous
382 command, since it hasn't finished yet when @code{shell-command} returns.
385 @findex shell-command-on-region
386 @kbd{M-|} (@code{shell-command-on-region}) is like @kbd{M-!} but
387 passes the contents of the region as the standard input to the shell
388 command, instead of no input. With a numeric argument, meaning insert
389 the output in the current buffer, it deletes the old region and the
390 output replaces it as the contents of the region. It returns the
391 command's exit status, like @kbd{M-!}.
393 One use for @kbd{M-|} is to run @code{gpg} to see what keys are in
394 the buffer. For instance, if the buffer contains a GPG key, type
395 @kbd{C-x h M-| gpg @key{RET}} to feed the entire buffer contents to
396 the @code{gpg} program. That program will ignore everything except
397 the encoded keys, and will output a list of the keys the buffer
400 @vindex shell-file-name
401 Both @kbd{M-!} and @kbd{M-|} use @code{shell-file-name} to specify
402 the shell to use. This variable is initialized based on your
403 @env{SHELL} environment variable when Emacs is started. If the file
404 name is relative, Emacs searches the directories in the list
405 @code{exec-path}; this list is initialized based on the environment
406 variable @env{PATH} when Emacs is started. Your @file{.emacs} file
407 can override either or both of these default initializations.
409 Both @kbd{M-!} and @kbd{M-|} wait for the shell command to complete,
410 unless you end the command with @samp{&} to make it asynchronous. To
411 stop waiting, type @kbd{C-g} to quit; that terminates the shell
412 command with the signal @code{SIGINT}---the same signal that @kbd{C-c}
413 normally generates in the shell. Emacs then waits until the command
414 actually terminates. If the shell command doesn't stop (because it
415 ignores the @code{SIGINT} signal), type @kbd{C-g} again; this sends
416 the command a @code{SIGKILL} signal which is impossible to ignore.
418 Asynchronous commands ending in @samp{&} feed their output into
419 the buffer @samp{*Async Shell Command*}. Output arrives in that
420 buffer regardless of whether it is visible in a window.
422 To specify a coding system for @kbd{M-!} or @kbd{M-|}, use the command
423 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately beforehand. @xref{Communication Coding}.
425 @vindex shell-command-default-error-buffer
426 Error output from these commands is normally intermixed with the
427 regular output. But if the variable
428 @code{shell-command-default-error-buffer} has a string as value, and
429 it's the name of a buffer, @kbd{M-!} and @kbd{M-|} insert error output
430 before point in that buffer.
432 @node Interactive Shell
433 @subsection Interactive Inferior Shell
436 To run a subshell interactively, putting its typescript in an Emacs
437 buffer, use @kbd{M-x shell}. This creates (or reuses) a buffer named
438 @samp{*shell*} and runs a subshell with input coming from and output going
439 to that buffer. That is to say, any ``terminal output'' from the subshell
440 goes into the buffer, advancing point, and any ``terminal input'' for
441 the subshell comes from text in the buffer. To give input to the subshell,
442 go to the end of the buffer and type the input, terminated by @key{RET}.
444 Emacs does not wait for the subshell to do anything. You can switch
445 windows or buffers and edit them while the shell is waiting, or while it is
446 running a command. Output from the subshell waits until Emacs has time to
447 process it; this happens whenever Emacs is waiting for keyboard input or
450 @cindex @code{comint-highlight-input} face
451 @cindex @code{comint-highlight-prompt} face
452 Input lines, once you submit them, are displayed using the face
453 @code{comint-highlight-input}, and prompts are displayed using the
454 face @code{comint-highlight-prompt}. This makes it easier to see
455 previous input lines in the buffer. @xref{Faces}.
457 To make multiple subshells, you can invoke @kbd{M-x shell} with a
458 prefix argument (e.g. @kbd{C-u M-x shell}), which will read a buffer
459 name and create (or reuse) a subshell in that buffer. You can also
460 rename the @samp{*shell*} buffer using @kbd{M-x rename-uniquely}, then
461 create a new @samp{*shell*} buffer using plain @kbd{M-x shell}.
462 Subshells in different buffers run independently and in parallel.
464 @vindex explicit-shell-file-name
465 @cindex environment variables for subshells
466 @cindex @env{ESHELL} environment variable
467 @cindex @env{SHELL} environment variable
468 The file name used to load the subshell is the value of the variable
469 @code{explicit-shell-file-name}, if that is non-@code{nil}. Otherwise,
470 the environment variable @env{ESHELL} is used, or the environment
471 variable @env{SHELL} if there is no @env{ESHELL}. If the file name
472 specified is relative, the directories in the list @code{exec-path} are
473 searched; this list is initialized based on the environment variable
474 @env{PATH} when Emacs is started. Your @file{.emacs} file can override
475 either or both of these default initializations.
477 Emacs sends the new shell the contents of the file
478 @file{~/.emacs_@var{shellname}} as input, if it exists, where
479 @var{shellname} is the name of the file that the shell was loaded
480 from. For example, if you use bash, the file sent to it is
481 @file{~/.emacs_bash}. If this file is not found, Emacs tries to fallback
482 on @file{~/.emacs.d/init_@var{shellname}.sh}.
484 To specify a coding system for the shell, you can use the command
485 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately before @kbd{M-x shell}. You can
486 also change the coding system for a running subshell by typing
487 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} p} in the shell buffer. @xref{Communication
490 @cindex @env{INSIDE_EMACS} environment variable
491 Emacs sets the envitonment variable @env{INSIDE_EMACS} to @code{t}
492 in the subshell. Programs can check this variable to determine
493 whether they are running inside an Emacs subshell.
495 @cindex @env{EMACS} environment variable
496 Emacs also sets the @env{EMACS} environment variable to @code{t} if
497 it is not already defined. @strong{Warning:} This environment
498 variable is deprecated. Programs that check this variable should be
499 changed to check @env{INSIDE_EMACS} instead.
502 @subsection Shell Mode
506 Shell buffers use Shell mode, which defines several special keys
507 attached to the @kbd{C-c} prefix. They are chosen to resemble the usual
508 editing and job control characters present in shells that are not under
509 Emacs, except that you must type @kbd{C-c} first. Here is a complete list
510 of the special key bindings of Shell mode:
514 @kindex RET @r{(Shell mode)}
515 @findex comint-send-input
516 At end of buffer send line as input; otherwise, copy current line to
517 end of buffer and send it (@code{comint-send-input}). Copying a line
518 in this way omits any prompt at the beginning of the line (text output
519 by programs preceding your input). @xref{Shell Prompts}, for how
520 Shell mode recognizes prompts.
523 @kindex TAB @r{(Shell mode)}
524 @findex comint-dynamic-complete
525 Complete the command name or file name before point in the shell buffer
526 (@code{comint-dynamic-complete}). @key{TAB} also completes history
527 references (@pxref{History References}) and environment variable names.
529 @vindex shell-completion-fignore
530 @vindex comint-completion-fignore
531 The variable @code{shell-completion-fignore} specifies a list of file
532 name extensions to ignore in Shell mode completion. The default
533 setting is @code{nil}, but some users prefer @code{("~" "#" "%")} to
534 ignore file names ending in @samp{~}, @samp{#} or @samp{%}. Other
535 related Comint modes use the variable @code{comint-completion-fignore}
539 @kindex M-? @r{(Shell mode)}
540 @findex comint-dynamic-list-filename@dots{}
541 Display temporarily a list of the possible completions of the file name
542 before point in the shell buffer
543 (@code{comint-dynamic-list-filename-completions}).
546 @kindex C-d @r{(Shell mode)}
547 @findex comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof
548 Either delete a character or send @acronym{EOF}
549 (@code{comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof}). Typed at the end of the shell
550 buffer, @kbd{C-d} sends @acronym{EOF} to the subshell. Typed at any other
551 position in the buffer, @kbd{C-d} deletes a character as usual.
554 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(Shell mode)}
555 @findex comint-bol-or-process-mark
556 Move to the beginning of the line, but after the prompt if any
557 (@code{comint-bol-or-process-mark}). If you repeat this command twice
558 in a row, the second time it moves back to the process mark, which is
559 the beginning of the input that you have not yet sent to the subshell.
560 (Normally that is the same place---the end of the prompt on this
561 line---but after @kbd{C-c @key{SPC}} the process mark may be in a
565 Accumulate multiple lines of input, then send them together. This
566 command inserts a newline before point, but does not send the preceding
567 text as input to the subshell---at least, not yet. Both lines, the one
568 before this newline and the one after, will be sent together (along with
569 the newline that separates them), when you type @key{RET}.
572 @kindex C-c C-u @r{(Shell mode)}
573 @findex comint-kill-input
574 Kill all text pending at end of buffer to be sent as input
575 (@code{comint-kill-input}). If point is not at end of buffer,
576 this only kills the part of this text that precedes point.
579 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Shell mode)}
580 Kill a word before point (@code{backward-kill-word}).
583 @kindex C-c C-c @r{(Shell mode)}
584 @findex comint-interrupt-subjob
585 Interrupt the shell or its current subjob if any
586 (@code{comint-interrupt-subjob}). This command also kills
587 any shell input pending in the shell buffer and not yet sent.
590 @kindex C-c C-z @r{(Shell mode)}
591 @findex comint-stop-subjob
592 Stop the shell or its current subjob if any (@code{comint-stop-subjob}).
593 This command also kills any shell input pending in the shell buffer and
597 @findex comint-quit-subjob
598 @kindex C-c C-\ @r{(Shell mode)}
599 Send quit signal to the shell or its current subjob if any
600 (@code{comint-quit-subjob}). This command also kills any shell input
601 pending in the shell buffer and not yet sent.
604 @kindex C-c C-o @r{(Shell mode)}
605 @findex comint-delete-output
606 Delete the last batch of output from a shell command
607 (@code{comint-delete-output}). This is useful if a shell command spews
608 out lots of output that just gets in the way. This command used to be
609 called @code{comint-kill-output}.
612 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(Shell mode)}
613 @findex comint-write-output
614 Write the last batch of output from a shell command to a file
615 (@code{comint-write-output}). With a prefix argument, the file is
616 appended to instead. Any prompt at the end of the output is not
621 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Shell mode)}
622 @kindex C-M-l @r{(Shell mode)}
623 @findex comint-show-output
624 Scroll to display the beginning of the last batch of output at the top
625 of the window; also move the cursor there (@code{comint-show-output}).
628 @kindex C-c C-e @r{(Shell mode)}
629 @findex comint-show-maximum-output
630 Scroll to put the end of the buffer at the bottom of the window
631 (@code{comint-show-maximum-output}).
634 @kindex C-c C-f @r{(Shell mode)}
635 @findex shell-forward-command
636 @vindex shell-command-regexp
637 Move forward across one shell command, but not beyond the current line
638 (@code{shell-forward-command}). The variable @code{shell-command-regexp}
639 specifies how to recognize the end of a command.
642 @kindex C-c C-b @r{(Shell mode)}
643 @findex shell-backward-command
644 Move backward across one shell command, but not beyond the current line
645 (@code{shell-backward-command}).
648 Ask the shell what its current directory is, so that Emacs can agree
651 @item M-x send-invisible @key{RET} @var{text} @key{RET}
652 @findex send-invisible
653 Send @var{text} as input to the shell, after reading it without
654 echoing. This is useful when a shell command runs a program that asks
657 Please note that Emacs will not echo passwords by default. If you
658 really want them to be echoed, evaluate the following Lisp
662 (remove-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
663 'comint-watch-for-password-prompt)
666 @item M-x comint-continue-subjob
667 @findex comint-continue-subjob
668 Continue the shell process. This is useful if you accidentally suspend
669 the shell process.@footnote{You should not suspend the shell process.
670 Suspending a subjob of the shell is a completely different matter---that
671 is normal practice, but you must use the shell to continue the subjob;
672 this command won't do it.}
674 @item M-x comint-strip-ctrl-m
675 @findex comint-strip-ctrl-m
676 Discard all control-M characters from the current group of shell output.
677 The most convenient way to use this command is to make it run
678 automatically when you get output from the subshell. To do that,
679 evaluate this Lisp expression:
682 (add-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
683 'comint-strip-ctrl-m)
686 @item M-x comint-truncate-buffer
687 @findex comint-truncate-buffer
688 This command truncates the shell buffer to a certain maximum number of
689 lines, specified by the variable @code{comint-buffer-maximum-size}.
690 Here's how to do this automatically each time you get output from the
694 (add-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
695 'comint-truncate-buffer)
701 Shell mode is a derivative of Comint mode, a general-purpose mode for
702 communicating with interactive subprocesses. Most of the features of
703 Shell mode actually come from Comint mode, as you can see from the
704 command names listed above. The special features of Shell mode include
705 the directory tracking feature, and a few user commands.
707 Other Emacs features that use variants of Comint mode include GUD
708 (@pxref{Debuggers}) and @kbd{M-x run-lisp} (@pxref{External Lisp}).
711 You can use @kbd{M-x comint-run} to execute any program of your choice
712 in a subprocess using unmodified Comint mode---without the
713 specializations of Shell mode.
716 @subsection Shell Prompts
718 @vindex shell-prompt-pattern
719 @vindex comint-prompt-regexp
720 @vindex comint-use-prompt-regexp
721 @cindex prompt, shell
722 A prompt is text output by a program to show that it is ready to
723 accept new user input. Normally, Comint mode (and thus Shell mode)
724 considers the prompt to be any text output by a program at the
725 beginning of an input line. However, if the variable
726 @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, then Comint mode
727 uses a regular expression to recognize prompts. In Shell mode,
728 @code{shell-prompt-pattern} specifies the regular expression.
730 The value of @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} also affects many
731 motion and paragraph commands. If the value is non-@code{nil}, the
732 general Emacs motion commands behave as they normally do in buffers
733 without special text properties. However, if the value is @code{nil},
734 the default, then Comint mode divides the buffer into two types of
735 ``fields'' (ranges of consecutive characters having the same
736 @code{field} text property): input and output. Prompts are part of
737 the output. Most Emacs motion commands do not cross field boundaries,
738 unless they move over multiple lines. For instance, when point is in
739 input on the same line as a prompt, @kbd{C-a} puts point at the
740 beginning of the input if @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is
741 @code{nil} and at the beginning of the line otherwise.
743 In Shell mode, only shell prompts start new paragraphs. Thus, a
744 paragraph consists of a prompt and the input and output that follow
745 it. However, if @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is @code{nil}, the
746 default, most paragraph commands do not cross field boundaries. This
747 means that prompts, ranges of input, and ranges of non-prompt output
748 behave mostly like separate paragraphs; with this setting, numeric
749 arguments to most paragraph commands yield essentially undefined
750 behavior. For the purpose of finding paragraph boundaries, Shell mode
751 uses @code{shell-prompt-pattern}, regardless of
752 @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp}.
755 @subsection Shell Command History
757 Shell buffers support three ways of repeating earlier commands. You
758 can use keys like those used for the minibuffer history; these work
759 much as they do in the minibuffer, inserting text from prior commands
760 while point remains always at the end of the buffer. You can move
761 through the buffer to previous inputs in their original place, then
762 resubmit them or copy them to the end. Or you can use a
763 @samp{!}-style history reference.
766 * Ring: Shell Ring. Fetching commands from the history list.
767 * Copy: Shell History Copying. Moving to a command and then copying it.
768 * History References:: Expanding @samp{!}-style history references.
772 @subsubsection Shell History Ring
775 @findex comint-previous-input
776 @kindex M-p @r{(Shell mode)}
779 Fetch the next earlier old shell command.
781 @kindex M-n @r{(Shell mode)}
782 @findex comint-next-input
785 Fetch the next later old shell command.
787 @kindex M-r @r{(Shell mode)}
788 @kindex M-s @r{(Shell mode)}
789 @findex comint-previous-matching-input
790 @findex comint-next-matching-input
791 @item M-r @var{regexp} @key{RET}
792 @itemx M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
793 Search backwards or forwards for old shell commands that match @var{regexp}.
796 @kindex C-c C-x @r{(Shell mode)}
797 @findex comint-get-next-from-history
798 Fetch the next subsequent command from the history.
801 @kindex C-c . @r{(Shell mode)}
802 @findex comint-input-previous-argument
803 Fetch one argument from an old shell command.
806 @kindex C-c C-l @r{(Shell mode)}
807 @findex comint-dynamic-list-input-ring
808 Display the buffer's history of shell commands in another window
809 (@code{comint-dynamic-list-input-ring}).
812 Shell buffers provide a history of previously entered shell commands. To
813 reuse shell commands from the history, use the editing commands @kbd{M-p},
814 @kbd{M-n}, @kbd{M-r} and @kbd{M-s}. These work just like the minibuffer
815 history commands except that they operate on the text at the end of the
816 shell buffer, where you would normally insert text to send to the shell.
818 @kbd{M-p} fetches an earlier shell command to the end of the shell
819 buffer. Successive use of @kbd{M-p} fetches successively earlier
820 shell commands, each replacing any text that was already present as
821 potential shell input. @kbd{M-n} does likewise except that it finds
822 successively more recent shell commands from the buffer.
823 @kbd{C-@key{UP}} works like @kbd{M-p}, and @kbd{C-@key{DOWN}} like
826 The history search commands @kbd{M-r} and @kbd{M-s} read a regular
827 expression and search through the history for a matching command. Aside
828 from the choice of which command to fetch, they work just like @kbd{M-p}
829 and @kbd{M-n}. If you enter an empty regexp, these commands reuse the
830 same regexp used last time.
832 When you find the previous input you want, you can resubmit it by
833 typing @key{RET}, or you can edit it first and then resubmit it if you
834 wish. Any partial input you were composing before navigating the
835 history list is restored when you go to the beginning or end of the
838 Often it is useful to reexecute several successive shell commands that
839 were previously executed in sequence. To do this, first find and
840 reexecute the first command of the sequence. Then type @kbd{C-c C-x};
841 that will fetch the following command---the one that follows the command
842 you just repeated. Then type @key{RET} to reexecute this command. You
843 can reexecute several successive commands by typing @kbd{C-c C-x
844 @key{RET}} over and over.
846 The command @kbd{C-c .}@: (@code{comint-input-previous-argument})
847 copies an individual argument from a previous command, like @kbd{ESC
848 .} in Bash. The simplest use copies the last argument from the
849 previous shell command. With a prefix argument @var{n}, it copies the
850 @var{n}th argument instead. Repeating @kbd{C-c .} copies from an
851 earlier shell command instead, always using the same value of @var{n}
852 (don't give a prefix argument when you repeat the @kbd{C-c .}
855 These commands get the text of previous shell commands from a special
856 history list, not from the shell buffer itself. Thus, editing the shell
857 buffer, or even killing large parts of it, does not affect the history
858 that these commands access.
860 @vindex shell-input-ring-file-name
861 Some shells store their command histories in files so that you can
862 refer to commands from previous shell sessions. Emacs reads
863 the command history file for your chosen shell, to initialize its own
864 command history. The file name is @file{~/.bash_history} for bash,
865 @file{~/.sh_history} for ksh, and @file{~/.history} for other shells.
867 @node Shell History Copying
868 @subsubsection Shell History Copying
871 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(Shell mode)}
872 @findex comint-previous-prompt
874 Move point to the previous prompt (@code{comint-previous-prompt}).
876 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(Shell mode)}
877 @findex comint-next-prompt
879 Move point to the following prompt (@code{comint-next-prompt}).
881 @kindex C-c RET @r{(Shell mode)}
882 @findex comint-copy-old-input
884 Copy the input command which point is in, inserting the copy at the end
885 of the buffer (@code{comint-copy-old-input}). This is useful if you
886 move point back to a previous command. After you copy the command, you
887 can submit the copy as input with @key{RET}. If you wish, you can
888 edit the copy before resubmitting it. If you use this command on an
889 output line, it copies that line to the end of the buffer.
892 If @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is @code{nil} (the default), copy
893 the old input command that you click on, inserting the copy at the end
894 of the buffer (@code{comint-insert-input}). If
895 @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, or if the click is
896 not over old input, just yank as usual.
899 Moving to a previous input and then copying it with @kbd{C-c
900 @key{RET}} or @kbd{Mouse-2} produces the same results---the same
901 buffer contents---that you would get by using @kbd{M-p} enough times
902 to fetch that previous input from the history list. However, @kbd{C-c
903 @key{RET}} copies the text from the buffer, which can be different
904 from what is in the history list if you edit the input text in the
905 buffer after it has been sent.
907 @node History References
908 @subsubsection Shell History References
909 @cindex history reference
911 Various shells including csh and bash support @dfn{history
912 references} that begin with @samp{!} and @samp{^}. Shell mode
913 recognizes these constructs, and can perform the history substitution
916 If you insert a history reference and type @key{TAB}, this searches
917 the input history for a matching command, performs substitution if
918 necessary, and places the result in the buffer in place of the history
919 reference. For example, you can fetch the most recent command
920 beginning with @samp{mv} with @kbd{! m v @key{TAB}}. You can edit the
921 command if you wish, and then resubmit the command to the shell by
924 @vindex comint-input-autoexpand
925 @findex comint-magic-space
926 Shell mode can optionally expand history references in the buffer
927 when you send them to the shell. To request this, set the variable
928 @code{comint-input-autoexpand} to @code{input}. You can make
929 @key{SPC} perform history expansion by binding @key{SPC} to the
930 command @code{comint-magic-space}.
932 Shell mode recognizes history references when they follow a prompt.
933 @xref{Shell Prompts}, for how Shell mode recognizes prompts.
935 @node Directory Tracking
936 @subsection Directory Tracking
937 @cindex directory tracking
939 @vindex shell-pushd-regexp
940 @vindex shell-popd-regexp
941 @vindex shell-cd-regexp
942 Shell mode keeps track of @samp{cd}, @samp{pushd} and @samp{popd}
943 commands given to the inferior shell, so it can keep the
944 @samp{*shell*} buffer's default directory the same as the shell's
945 working directory. It recognizes these commands syntactically, by
946 examining lines of input that are sent.
948 If you use aliases for these commands, you can tell Emacs to
949 recognize them also. For example, if the value of the variable
950 @code{shell-pushd-regexp} matches the beginning of a shell command
951 line, that line is regarded as a @code{pushd} command. Change this
952 variable when you add aliases for @samp{pushd}. Likewise,
953 @code{shell-popd-regexp} and @code{shell-cd-regexp} are used to
954 recognize commands with the meaning of @samp{popd} and @samp{cd}.
955 These commands are recognized only at the beginning of a shell command
958 @ignore @c This seems to have been deleted long ago.
959 @vindex shell-set-directory-error-hook
960 If Emacs gets an error while trying to handle what it believes is a
961 @samp{cd}, @samp{pushd} or @samp{popd} command, it runs the hook
962 @code{shell-set-directory-error-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
966 If Emacs gets confused about changes in the current directory of the
967 subshell, use the command @kbd{M-x dirs} to ask the shell what its
968 current directory is. This command works for shells that support the
969 most common command syntax; it may not work for unusual shells.
971 @findex dirtrack-mode
972 You can also use @kbd{M-x dirtrack-mode} to enable (or disable) an
973 alternative and more aggressive method of tracking changes in the
977 @subsection Shell Mode Options
979 @vindex comint-scroll-to-bottom-on-input
980 If the variable @code{comint-scroll-to-bottom-on-input} is
981 non-@code{nil}, insertion and yank commands scroll the selected window
982 to the bottom before inserting. The default is @code{nil}.
984 @vindex comint-scroll-show-maximum-output
985 If @code{comint-scroll-show-maximum-output} is non-@code{nil}, then
986 arrival of output when point is at the end tries to scroll the last
987 line of text to the bottom line of the window, showing as much useful
988 text as possible. (This mimics the scrolling behavior of most
989 terminals.) The default is @code{t}.
991 @vindex comint-move-point-for-output
992 By setting @code{comint-move-point-for-output}, you can opt for
993 having point jump to the end of the buffer whenever output arrives---no
994 matter where in the buffer point was before. If the value is
995 @code{this}, point jumps in the selected window. If the value is
996 @code{all}, point jumps in each window that shows the Comint buffer. If
997 the value is @code{other}, point jumps in all nonselected windows that
998 show the current buffer. The default value is @code{nil}, which means
999 point does not jump to the end.
1001 @vindex comint-prompt-read-only
1002 If you set @code{comint-prompt-read-only}, the prompts in the Comint
1003 buffer are read-only.
1005 @vindex comint-input-ignoredups
1006 The variable @code{comint-input-ignoredups} controls whether successive
1007 identical inputs are stored in the input history. A non-@code{nil}
1008 value means to omit an input that is the same as the previous input.
1009 The default is @code{nil}, which means to store each input even if it is
1010 equal to the previous input.
1012 @vindex comint-completion-addsuffix
1013 @vindex comint-completion-recexact
1014 @vindex comint-completion-autolist
1015 Three variables customize file name completion. The variable
1016 @code{comint-completion-addsuffix} controls whether completion inserts a
1017 space or a slash to indicate a fully completed file or directory name
1018 (non-@code{nil} means do insert a space or slash).
1019 @code{comint-completion-recexact}, if non-@code{nil}, directs @key{TAB}
1020 to choose the shortest possible completion if the usual Emacs completion
1021 algorithm cannot add even a single character.
1022 @code{comint-completion-autolist}, if non-@code{nil}, says to list all
1023 the possible completions whenever completion is not exact.
1025 @vindex shell-completion-execonly
1026 Command completion normally considers only executable files.
1027 If you set @code{shell-completion-execonly} to @code{nil},
1028 it considers nonexecutable files as well.
1030 @findex shell-pushd-tohome
1031 @findex shell-pushd-dextract
1032 @findex shell-pushd-dunique
1033 You can configure the behavior of @samp{pushd}. Variables control
1034 whether @samp{pushd} behaves like @samp{cd} if no argument is given
1035 (@code{shell-pushd-tohome}), pop rather than rotate with a numeric
1036 argument (@code{shell-pushd-dextract}), and only add directories to the
1037 directory stack if they are not already on it
1038 (@code{shell-pushd-dunique}). The values you choose should match the
1039 underlying shell, of course.
1041 If you want Shell mode to handle color output from shell commands,
1042 you can enable ANSI Color mode. Here is how to do this:
1045 (add-hook 'shell-mode-hook 'ansi-color-for-comint-mode-on)
1048 @node Terminal emulator
1049 @subsection Emacs Terminal Emulator
1052 To run a subshell in a terminal emulator, putting its typescript in
1053 an Emacs buffer, use @kbd{M-x term}. This creates (or reuses) a
1054 buffer named @samp{*terminal*}, and runs a subshell with input coming
1055 from your keyboard, and output going to that buffer.
1057 The terminal emulator uses Term mode, which has two input modes. In
1058 line mode, Term basically acts like Shell mode; see @ref{Shell Mode}.
1060 In char mode, each character is sent directly to the inferior
1061 subshell, as ``terminal input.'' Any ``echoing'' of your input is the
1062 responsibility of the subshell. The sole exception is the terminal
1063 escape character, which by default is @kbd{C-c} (@pxref{Term Mode}).
1064 Any ``terminal output'' from the subshell goes into the buffer,
1067 Some programs (such as Emacs itself) need to control the appearance
1068 on the terminal screen in detail. They do this by sending special
1069 control codes. The exact control codes needed vary from terminal to
1070 terminal, but nowadays most terminals and terminal emulators
1071 (including @code{xterm}) understand the ANSI-standard (VT100-style)
1072 escape sequences. Term mode recognizes these escape sequences, and
1073 handles each one appropriately, changing the buffer so that the
1074 appearance of the window matches what it would be on a real terminal.
1075 You can actually run Emacs inside an Emacs Term window.
1077 The file name used to load the subshell is determined the same way
1078 as for Shell mode. To make multiple terminal emulators, rename the
1079 buffer @samp{*terminal*} to something different using @kbd{M-x
1080 rename-uniquely}, just as with Shell mode.
1082 Unlike Shell mode, Term mode does not track the current directory by
1083 examining your input. But some shells can tell Term what the current
1084 directory is. This is done automatically by @code{bash} version 1.15
1088 @subsection Term Mode
1092 The terminal emulator uses Term mode, which has two input modes. In
1093 line mode, Term basically acts like Shell mode; see @ref{Shell Mode}.
1094 In char mode, each character is sent directly to the inferior
1095 subshell, except for the Term escape character, normally @kbd{C-c}.
1097 To switch between line and char mode, use these commands:
1100 @kindex C-c C-j @r{(Term mode)}
1101 @findex term-char-mode
1103 Switch to line mode. Do nothing if already in line mode.
1105 @kindex C-c C-k @r{(Term mode)}
1106 @findex term-line-mode
1108 Switch to char mode. Do nothing if already in char mode.
1111 The following commands are only available in char mode:
1115 Send a literal @key{C-c} to the sub-shell.
1117 @item C-c @var{char}
1118 This is equivalent to @kbd{C-x @var{char}} in normal Emacs. For
1119 example, @kbd{C-c o} invokes the global binding of @kbd{C-x o}, which
1120 is normally @samp{other-window}.
1123 @node Paging in Term
1124 @subsection Page-At-A-Time Output
1125 @cindex page-at-a-time
1127 Term mode has a page-at-a-time feature. When enabled it makes
1128 output pause at the end of each screenful.
1131 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(Term mode)}
1132 @findex term-pager-toggle
1134 Toggle the page-at-a-time feature. This command works in both line
1135 and char modes. When page-at-a-time is enabled, the mode-line
1136 displays the word @samp{page}.
1139 With page-at-a-time enabled, whenever Term receives more than a
1140 screenful of output since your last input, it pauses, displaying
1141 @samp{**MORE**} in the mode-line. Type @key{SPC} to display the next
1142 screenful of output. Type @kbd{?} to see your other options. The
1143 interface is similar to the @code{more} program.
1146 @subsection Remote Host Shell
1148 @cindex connecting to remote host
1152 You can login to a remote computer, using whatever commands you
1153 would from a regular terminal (e.g.@: using the @code{telnet} or
1154 @code{rlogin} commands), from a Term window.
1156 A program that asks you for a password will normally suppress
1157 echoing of the password, so the password will not show up in the
1158 buffer. This will happen just as if you were using a real terminal,
1159 if the buffer is in char mode. If it is in line mode, the password is
1160 temporarily visible, but will be erased when you hit return. (This
1161 happens automatically; there is no special password processing.)
1163 When you log in to a different machine, you need to specify the type
1164 of terminal you're using, by setting the @env{TERM} environment
1165 variable in the environment for the remote login command. (If you use
1166 bash, you do that by writing the variable assignment before the remote
1167 login command, without separating comma.) Terminal types @samp{ansi}
1168 or @samp{vt100} will work on most systems.
1170 @c If you are talking to a Bourne-compatible
1171 @c shell, and your system understands the @env{TERMCAP} variable,
1172 @c you can use the command @kbd{M-x shell-send-termcap}, which
1173 @c sends a string specifying the terminal type and size.
1174 @c (This command is also useful after the window has changed size.)
1176 @c You can of course run @samp{gdb} on that remote computer. One useful
1177 @c trick: If you invoke gdb with the @code{--fullname} option,
1178 @c it will send special commands to Emacs that will cause Emacs to
1179 @c pop up the source files you're debugging. This will work
1180 @c whether or not gdb is running on a different computer than Emacs,
1181 @c as long as Emacs can access the source files specified by gdb.
1184 You cannot log in to a remote computer using the Shell mode.
1185 @c (This will change when Shell is re-written to use Term.)
1186 Instead, Emacs provides two commands for logging in to another computer
1187 and communicating with it through an Emacs buffer using Comint mode:
1190 @item M-x telnet @key{RET} @var{hostname} @key{RET}
1191 Set up a Telnet connection to the computer named @var{hostname}.
1192 @item M-x rlogin @key{RET} @var{hostname} @key{RET}
1193 Set up an Rlogin connection to the computer named @var{hostname}.
1197 Use @kbd{M-x telnet} to set up a Telnet connection to another
1198 computer. (Telnet is the standard Internet protocol for remote login.)
1199 It reads the host name of the other computer as an argument with the
1200 minibuffer. Once the connection is established, talking to the other
1201 computer works like talking to a subshell: you can edit input with the
1202 usual Emacs commands, and send it a line at a time by typing @key{RET}.
1203 The output is inserted in the Telnet buffer interspersed with the input.
1206 @vindex rlogin-explicit-args
1207 Use @kbd{M-x rlogin} to set up an Rlogin connection. Rlogin is
1208 another remote login communication protocol, essentially much like the
1209 Telnet protocol but incompatible with it, and supported only by certain
1210 systems. Rlogin's advantages are that you can arrange not to have to
1211 give your user name and password when communicating between two machines
1212 you frequently use, and that you can make an 8-bit-clean connection.
1213 (To do that in Emacs, set @code{rlogin-explicit-args} to @code{("-8")}
1214 before you run Rlogin.)
1216 @kbd{M-x rlogin} sets up the default file directory of the Emacs
1217 buffer to access the remote host via FTP (@pxref{File Names}), and it
1218 tracks the shell commands that change the current directory, just like
1221 @findex rlogin-directory-tracking-mode
1222 There are two ways of doing directory tracking in an Rlogin
1223 buffer---either with remote directory names
1224 @file{/@var{host}:@var{dir}/} or with local names (that works if the
1225 ``remote'' machine shares file systems with your machine of origin).
1226 You can use the command @code{rlogin-directory-tracking-mode} to switch
1227 modes. No argument means use remote directory names, a positive
1228 argument means use local names, and a negative argument means turn
1229 off directory tracking.
1233 @node Emacs Server, Printing, Shell, Top
1234 @section Using Emacs as a Server
1236 @cindex Emacs as a server
1237 @cindex server, using Emacs as
1238 @cindex @env{EDITOR} environment variable
1240 Various programs such as @code{mail} can invoke your choice of editor
1241 to edit a particular piece of text, such as a message that you are
1242 sending. By convention, most of these programs use the environment
1243 variable @env{EDITOR} to specify which editor to run. If you set
1244 @env{EDITOR} to @samp{emacs}, they invoke Emacs---but in an
1245 inconvenient fashion, by starting a new, separate Emacs process. This
1246 is inconvenient because it takes time and because the new Emacs process
1247 doesn't share the buffers with any existing Emacs process.
1249 You can arrange to use your existing Emacs process as the editor for
1250 programs like @code{mail} by using the Emacs client program and the
1251 server that is part of Emacs. Here is how.
1253 @cindex @env{TEXEDIT} environment variable
1254 @findex server-start
1255 First, the preparations. Within Emacs, call the function
1256 @code{server-start}. (Your @file{.emacs} init file can do this
1257 automatically if you add the expression @code{(server-start)} to it,
1258 see @ref{Init File}.) Then, outside Emacs, set the @env{EDITOR}
1259 environment variable to @samp{emacsclient}. (Note that some programs
1260 use a different environment variable; for example, to make @TeX{} use
1261 @samp{emacsclient}, you should set the @env{TEXEDIT} environment
1262 variable to @samp{emacsclient +%d %s}.)
1265 @cindex Bash command to use Emacs server
1266 As an alternative to using @code{emacsclient}, the file
1267 @file{etc/emacs.bash} defines a Bash command @code{edit} which will
1268 communicate with a running Emacs session, or start one if none exist.
1272 Now, whenever any program invokes your specified @env{EDITOR}
1273 program, the effect is to send a message to your principal Emacs telling
1274 it to visit a file. (That's what the program @code{emacsclient} does.)
1275 Emacs displays the buffer immediately and you can immediately begin
1276 editing it in the already running Emacs session.
1278 When you've finished editing that buffer, type @kbd{C-x #}
1279 (@code{server-edit}). This saves the file and sends a message back to
1280 the @code{emacsclient} program telling it to exit. The programs that
1281 use @env{EDITOR} wait for the ``editor'' (actually, @code{emacsclient})
1282 to exit. @kbd{C-x #} also checks for other pending external requests
1283 to edit various files, and selects the next such file.
1285 You can switch to a server buffer manually if you wish; you don't
1286 have to arrive at it with @kbd{C-x #}. But @kbd{C-x #} is the way to
1287 say that you are finished with one.
1289 @vindex server-kill-new-buffers
1290 @vindex server-temp-file-regexp
1291 Finishing with a server buffer also kills the buffer, unless it
1292 already existed in the Emacs session before the server asked to create
1293 it. However, if you set @code{server-kill-new-buffers} to @code{nil},
1294 then a different criterion is used: finishing with a server buffer
1295 kills it if the file name matches the regular expression
1296 @code{server-temp-file-regexp}. This is set up to distinguish certain
1297 ``temporary'' files.
1299 @vindex server-window
1300 If you set the variable @code{server-window} to a window or a frame,
1301 @kbd{C-x #} displays the server buffer in that window or in that frame.
1304 You can run multiple Emacs servers on the same machine by giving
1305 each one a unique ``server name'', using the variable
1306 @code{server-name}. For example, @kbd{M-x set-variable @key{RET}
1307 server-name @key{RET} foo @key{RET}} sets the server name to
1308 @samp{foo}. The @code{emacsclient} program can specify a server by
1309 name using the @samp{-s} option. @xref{Invoking emacsclient}.
1311 While @code{mail} or another application is waiting for
1312 @code{emacsclient} to finish, @code{emacsclient} does not read terminal
1313 input. So the terminal that @code{mail} was using is effectively
1314 blocked for the duration. In order to edit with your principal Emacs,
1315 you need to be able to use it without using that terminal. There are
1316 three ways to do this:
1320 Using a window system, run @code{mail} and the principal Emacs in two
1321 separate windows. While @code{mail} is waiting for @code{emacsclient},
1322 the window where it was running is blocked, but you can use Emacs by
1326 Using virtual terminals, run @code{mail} in one virtual terminal
1327 and run Emacs in another.
1330 Use Shell mode or Term mode in Emacs to run the other program such as
1331 @code{mail}; then, @code{emacsclient} blocks only the subshell under
1332 Emacs, and you can still use Emacs to edit the file.
1335 If you run @code{emacsclient} with the option @samp{--no-wait}, it
1336 returns immediately without waiting for you to ``finish'' the buffer
1337 in Emacs. Note that server buffers created in this way are not killed
1338 automatically when you finish with them.
1341 * Invoking emacsclient:: Emacs client startup options.
1344 @node Invoking emacsclient,, Emacs Server, Emacs Server
1345 @subsection Invoking @code{emacsclient}
1346 @cindex @code{emacsclient} invocation and options
1348 To run the @code{emacsclient} program, specify file names as arguments,
1349 and optionally line numbers as well, like this:
1352 emacsclient @r{@{}@r{[}+@var{line}@r{[}@var{column}@r{]}@r{]} @var{filename}@r{@}}@dots{}
1356 This tells Emacs to visit each of the specified files; if you specify a
1357 line number for a certain file, Emacs moves to that line in the file.
1358 If you specify a column number as well, Emacs puts point on that column
1361 Ordinarily, @code{emacsclient} does not return until you use the
1362 @kbd{C-x #} command on each of these buffers. When that happens,
1363 Emacs sends a message to the @code{emacsclient} program telling it to
1366 If you invoke @code{emacsclient} for more than one file, the
1367 additional client buffers are buried at the bottom of the buffer list
1368 (@pxref{Buffers}). If you call @kbd{C-x #} after you are done editing
1369 a client buffer, the next client buffer is automatically selected.
1371 But if you use the option @samp{-n} or @samp{--no-wait} when running
1372 @code{emacsclient}, then it returns immediately. (You can take as
1373 long as you like to edit the files in Emacs.)
1375 The option @samp{-a @var{command}} or
1376 @samp{--alternate-editor=@var{command}} specifies a command to run if
1377 @code{emacsclient} fails to contact Emacs. This is useful when
1378 running @code{emacsclient} in a script. For example, the following
1379 setting for the @env{EDITOR} environment variable will always give you
1380 an editor, even if no Emacs server is running:
1383 EDITOR="emacsclient --alternate-editor emacs +%d %s"
1387 @cindex @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} environment variable
1388 The environment variable @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} has the same effect, with
1389 the value of the @samp{--alternate-editor} option taking precedence.
1391 If you use several displays, you can tell Emacs on which display to
1392 open the given files with the @samp{-d @var{display}} or
1393 @samp{--display=@var{display}} option to @code{emacsclient}. This is
1394 handy when connecting from home to an Emacs session running on your
1395 machine at your workplace.
1397 If there is more than one Emacs server running, you can specify a
1398 server name with the @samp{-s @var{name}} or
1399 @samp{--socket-name=@var{name}} option to @code{emacsclient}. (This
1400 option is not supported on MS-Windows.)
1402 You can also use @code{emacsclient} to execute any piece of Emacs Lisp
1403 code, using the @samp{-e} or @samp{--eval} option. When this option
1404 is given, the rest of the arguments is interpreted as a list of
1405 expressions to evaluate, not a list of files to visit.
1407 @cindex @env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable
1408 When you start the Emacs server (by calling @code{server-start}),
1409 Emacs creates a file with information about TCP connection to the
1410 server: the host where Emacs is running, the port where it is
1411 listening, and an authentication string. @code{emacsclient} uses this
1412 information if it needs to connect to the server via TCP. By default,
1413 the file goes in the @file{~/.emacs.d/server/} directory@footnote{On
1414 MS-Windows, if @env{HOME} is not set or the TCP configuration file
1415 cannot be found there, Emacs also looks for the file in the
1416 @file{.emacs.d/server/} subdirectory of the directory pointed to by
1417 the @env{APPDATA} environment variable.}. You can specify the file
1418 name to use with the @samp{-f @var{file}} or
1419 @samp{--server-file=@var{file}} options, or by setting
1420 @env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable to the file name.
1422 @node Printing, Sorting, Emacs Server, Top
1423 @section Printing Hard Copies
1427 Emacs provides commands for printing hard copies of either an entire
1428 buffer or just part of one, with or without page headers. You can
1429 invoke the printing commands directly, as detailed in the following
1430 section, or using the @samp{File} menu on the menu bar. See also the
1431 hardcopy commands of Dired (@pxref{Misc File Ops}) and the diary
1432 (@pxref{Displaying the Diary}).
1435 @item M-x print-buffer
1436 Print hardcopy of current buffer with page headings containing the file
1437 name and page number.
1438 @item M-x lpr-buffer
1439 Print hardcopy of current buffer without page headings.
1440 @item M-x print-region
1441 Like @code{print-buffer} but print only the current region.
1442 @item M-x lpr-region
1443 Like @code{lpr-buffer} but print only the current region.
1446 @findex print-buffer
1447 @findex print-region
1450 @vindex lpr-switches
1451 The hardcopy commands (aside from the PostScript commands) pass extra
1452 switches to the @code{lpr} program based on the value of the variable
1453 @code{lpr-switches}. Its value should be a list of strings, each string
1454 an option starting with @samp{-}. For example, to specify a line width
1455 of 80 columns for all the printing you do in Emacs, set
1456 @code{lpr-switches} like this:
1459 (setq lpr-switches '("-w80"))
1462 @vindex printer-name
1463 You can specify the printer to use by setting the variable
1464 @code{printer-name}.
1466 @vindex lpr-headers-switches
1467 @vindex lpr-commands
1468 @vindex lpr-add-switches
1469 The variable @code{lpr-command} specifies the name of the printer
1470 program to run; the default value depends on your operating system type.
1471 On most systems, the default is @code{"lpr"}. The variable
1472 @code{lpr-headers-switches} similarly specifies the extra switches to
1473 use to make page headers. The variable @code{lpr-add-switches} controls
1474 whether to supply @samp{-T} and @samp{-J} options (suitable for
1475 @code{lpr}) to the printer program: @code{nil} means don't add them.
1476 @code{lpr-add-switches} should be @code{nil} if your printer program is
1477 not compatible with @code{lpr}.
1480 * PostScript:: Printing buffers or regions as PostScript.
1481 * PostScript Variables:: Customizing the PostScript printing commands.
1482 * Printing Package:: An optional advanced printing interface.
1485 @node PostScript, PostScript Variables,, Printing
1486 @section PostScript Hardcopy
1488 These commands convert buffer contents to PostScript,
1489 either printing it or leaving it in another Emacs buffer.
1492 @item M-x ps-print-buffer
1493 Print hardcopy of the current buffer in PostScript form.
1494 @item M-x ps-print-region
1495 Print hardcopy of the current region in PostScript form.
1496 @item M-x ps-print-buffer-with-faces
1497 Print hardcopy of the current buffer in PostScript form, showing the
1498 faces used in the text by means of PostScript features.
1499 @item M-x ps-print-region-with-faces
1500 Print hardcopy of the current region in PostScript form, showing the
1501 faces used in the text.
1502 @item M-x ps-spool-buffer
1503 Generate PostScript for the current buffer text.
1504 @item M-x ps-spool-region
1505 Generate PostScript for the current region.
1506 @item M-x ps-spool-buffer-with-faces
1507 Generate PostScript for the current buffer, showing the faces used.
1508 @item M-x ps-spool-region-with-faces
1509 Generate PostScript for the current region, showing the faces used.
1511 Generates/prints PostScript for the current buffer as if handwritten.
1514 @findex ps-print-region
1515 @findex ps-print-buffer
1516 @findex ps-print-region-with-faces
1517 @findex ps-print-buffer-with-faces
1518 The PostScript commands, @code{ps-print-buffer} and
1519 @code{ps-print-region}, print buffer contents in PostScript form. One
1520 command prints the entire buffer; the other, just the region. The
1521 corresponding @samp{-with-faces} commands,
1522 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} and @code{ps-print-region-with-faces},
1523 use PostScript features to show the faces (fonts and colors) in the text
1524 properties of the text being printed.
1526 If you are using a color display, you can print a buffer of program
1527 code with color highlighting by turning on Font-Lock mode in that
1528 buffer, and using @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces}.
1530 @findex ps-spool-region
1531 @findex ps-spool-buffer
1532 @findex ps-spool-region-with-faces
1533 @findex ps-spool-buffer-with-faces
1534 The commands whose names have @samp{spool} instead of @samp{print}
1535 generate the PostScript output in an Emacs buffer instead of sending
1540 @kbd{M-x handwrite} is more frivolous. It generates a PostScript
1541 rendition of the current buffer as a cursive handwritten document. It
1542 can be customized in group @code{handwrite}. This function only
1543 supports ISO 8859-1 characters.
1546 The following section describes variables for customizing these commands.
1549 @node PostScript Variables, Printing Package, PostScript, Printing
1550 @section Variables for PostScript Hardcopy
1552 @vindex ps-lpr-command
1553 @vindex ps-lpr-switches
1554 @vindex ps-printer-name
1555 All the PostScript hardcopy commands use the variables
1556 @code{ps-lpr-command} and @code{ps-lpr-switches} to specify how to print
1557 the output. @code{ps-lpr-command} specifies the command name to run,
1558 @code{ps-lpr-switches} specifies command line options to use, and
1559 @code{ps-printer-name} specifies the printer. If you don't set the
1560 first two variables yourself, they take their initial values from
1561 @code{lpr-command} and @code{lpr-switches}. If @code{ps-printer-name}
1562 is @code{nil}, @code{printer-name} is used.
1564 @vindex ps-print-header
1565 The variable @code{ps-print-header} controls whether these commands
1566 add header lines to each page---set it to @code{nil} to turn headers
1569 @cindex color emulation on black-and-white printers
1570 @vindex ps-print-color-p
1571 If your printer doesn't support colors, you should turn off color
1572 processing by setting @code{ps-print-color-p} to @code{nil}. By
1573 default, if the display supports colors, Emacs produces hardcopy output
1574 with color information; on black-and-white printers, colors are emulated
1575 with shades of gray. This might produce illegible output, even if your
1576 screen colors only use shades of gray.
1578 @vindex ps-use-face-background
1579 By default, PostScript printing ignores the background colors of the
1580 faces, unless the variable @code{ps-use-face-background} is
1581 non-@code{nil}. This is to avoid unwanted interference with the zebra
1582 stripes and background image/text.
1584 @vindex ps-paper-type
1585 @vindex ps-page-dimensions-database
1586 The variable @code{ps-paper-type} specifies which size of paper to
1587 format for; legitimate values include @code{a4}, @code{a3},
1588 @code{a4small}, @code{b4}, @code{b5}, @code{executive}, @code{ledger},
1589 @code{legal}, @code{letter}, @code{letter-small}, @code{statement},
1590 @code{tabloid}. The default is @code{letter}. You can define
1591 additional paper sizes by changing the variable
1592 @code{ps-page-dimensions-database}.
1594 @vindex ps-landscape-mode
1595 The variable @code{ps-landscape-mode} specifies the orientation of
1596 printing on the page. The default is @code{nil}, which stands for
1597 ``portrait'' mode. Any non-@code{nil} value specifies ``landscape''
1600 @vindex ps-number-of-columns
1601 The variable @code{ps-number-of-columns} specifies the number of
1602 columns; it takes effect in both landscape and portrait mode. The
1605 @vindex ps-font-family
1606 @vindex ps-font-size
1607 @vindex ps-font-info-database
1608 The variable @code{ps-font-family} specifies which font family to use
1609 for printing ordinary text. Legitimate values include @code{Courier},
1610 @code{Helvetica}, @code{NewCenturySchlbk}, @code{Palatino} and
1611 @code{Times}. The variable @code{ps-font-size} specifies the size of
1612 the font for ordinary text. It defaults to 8.5 points.
1614 @vindex ps-multibyte-buffer
1615 @cindex Intlfonts for PostScript printing
1616 @cindex fonts for PostScript printing
1617 Emacs supports more scripts and characters than a typical PostScript
1618 printer. Thus, some of the characters in your buffer might not be
1619 printable using the fonts built into your printer. You can augment
1620 the fonts supplied with the printer with those from the GNU Intlfonts
1621 package, or you can instruct Emacs to use Intlfonts exclusively. The
1622 variable @code{ps-multibyte-buffer} controls this: the default value,
1623 @code{nil}, is appropriate for printing @acronym{ASCII} and Latin-1
1624 characters; a value of @code{non-latin-printer} is for printers which
1625 have the fonts for @acronym{ASCII}, Latin-1, Japanese, and Korean
1626 characters built into them. A value of @code{bdf-font} arranges for
1627 the BDF fonts from the Intlfonts package to be used for @emph{all}
1628 characters. Finally, a value of @code{bdf-font-except-latin}
1629 instructs the printer to use built-in fonts for @acronym{ASCII} and Latin-1
1630 characters, and Intlfonts BDF fonts for the rest.
1632 @vindex bdf-directory-list
1633 To be able to use the BDF fonts, Emacs needs to know where to find
1634 them. The variable @code{bdf-directory-list} holds the list of
1635 directories where Emacs should look for the fonts; the default value
1636 includes a single directory @file{/usr/local/share/emacs/fonts/bdf}.
1638 Many other customization variables for these commands are defined and
1639 described in the Lisp files @file{ps-print.el} and @file{ps-mule.el}.
1641 @node Printing Package,, PostScript Variables, Printing
1642 @section Printing Package
1643 @cindex Printing package
1645 The basic Emacs facilities for printing hardcopy can be extended
1646 using the Printing package. This provides an easy-to-use interface
1647 for choosing what to print, previewing PostScript files before
1648 printing, and setting various printing options such as print headers,
1649 landscape or portrait modes, duplex modes, and so forth. On GNU/Linux
1650 or Unix systems, the Printing package relies on the @file{gs} and
1651 @file{gv} utilities, which are distributed as part of the GhostScript
1652 program. On MS-Windows, the @file{gstools} port of Ghostscript can be
1655 @findex pr-interface
1656 To use the Printing package, add @code{(require 'printing)} to your
1657 init file (@pxref{Init File}), followed by @code{(pr-update-menus)}.
1658 This function replaces the usual printing commands in the menu bar
1659 with a @samp{Printing} submenu that contains various printing options.
1660 You can also type @kbd{M-x pr-interface RET}; this creates a
1661 @samp{*Printing Interface*} buffer, similar to a customization buffer,
1662 where you can set the printing options. After selecting what and how
1663 to print, you start the print job using the @samp{Print} button (click
1664 @kbd{mouse-2} on it, or move point over it and type @kbd{RET}). For
1665 further information on the various options, use the @samp{Interface
1668 @node Sorting, Narrowing, Printing, Top
1669 @section Sorting Text
1672 Emacs provides several commands for sorting text in the buffer. All
1673 operate on the contents of the region.
1674 They divide the text of the region into many @dfn{sort records},
1675 identify a @dfn{sort key} for each record, and then reorder the records
1676 into the order determined by the sort keys. The records are ordered so
1677 that their keys are in alphabetical order, or, for numeric sorting, in
1678 numeric order. In alphabetic sorting, all upper-case letters `A' through
1679 `Z' come before lower-case `a', in accord with the @acronym{ASCII} character
1682 The various sort commands differ in how they divide the text into sort
1683 records and in which part of each record is used as the sort key. Most of
1684 the commands make each line a separate sort record, but some commands use
1685 paragraphs or pages as sort records. Most of the sort commands use each
1686 entire sort record as its own sort key, but some use only a portion of the
1687 record as the sort key.
1690 @findex sort-paragraphs
1693 @findex sort-numeric-fields
1694 @vindex sort-numeric-base
1696 @item M-x sort-lines
1697 Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the entire
1698 text of a line. A numeric argument means sort into descending order.
1700 @item M-x sort-paragraphs
1701 Divide the region into paragraphs, and sort by comparing the entire
1702 text of a paragraph (except for leading blank lines). A numeric
1703 argument means sort into descending order.
1705 @item M-x sort-pages
1706 Divide the region into pages, and sort by comparing the entire
1707 text of a page (except for leading blank lines). A numeric
1708 argument means sort into descending order.
1710 @item M-x sort-fields
1711 Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the contents of
1712 one field in each line. Fields are defined as separated by
1713 whitespace, so the first run of consecutive non-whitespace characters
1714 in a line constitutes field 1, the second such run constitutes field
1717 Specify which field to sort by with a numeric argument: 1 to sort by
1718 field 1, etc. A negative argument means count fields from the right
1719 instead of from the left; thus, minus 1 means sort by the last field.
1720 If several lines have identical contents in the field being sorted, they
1721 keep the same relative order that they had in the original buffer.
1723 @item M-x sort-numeric-fields
1724 Like @kbd{M-x sort-fields} except the specified field is converted
1725 to an integer for each line, and the numbers are compared. @samp{10}
1726 comes before @samp{2} when considered as text, but after it when
1727 considered as a number. By default, numbers are interpreted according
1728 to @code{sort-numeric-base}, but numbers beginning with @samp{0x} or
1729 @samp{0} are interpreted as hexadecimal and octal, respectively.
1731 @item M-x sort-columns
1732 Like @kbd{M-x sort-fields} except that the text within each line
1733 used for comparison comes from a fixed range of columns. See below
1736 @item M-x reverse-region
1737 Reverse the order of the lines in the region. This is useful for
1738 sorting into descending order by fields or columns, since those sort
1739 commands do not have a feature for doing that.
1742 For example, if the buffer contains this:
1745 On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
1746 implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
1747 whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
1748 saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
1753 applying @kbd{M-x sort-lines} to the entire buffer produces this:
1756 On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
1757 implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
1758 saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
1760 whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
1764 where the upper-case @samp{O} sorts before all lower-case letters. If
1765 you use @kbd{C-u 2 M-x sort-fields} instead, you get this:
1768 implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
1769 saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
1771 On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
1772 whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
1776 where the sort keys were @samp{Emacs}, @samp{If}, @samp{buffer},
1777 @samp{systems} and @samp{the}.
1779 @findex sort-columns
1780 @kbd{M-x sort-columns} requires more explanation. You specify the
1781 columns by putting point at one of the columns and the mark at the other
1782 column. Because this means you cannot put point or the mark at the
1783 beginning of the first line of the text you want to sort, this command
1784 uses an unusual definition of ``region'': all of the line point is in is
1785 considered part of the region, and so is all of the line the mark is in,
1786 as well as all the lines in between.
1788 For example, to sort a table by information found in columns 10 to 15,
1789 you could put the mark on column 10 in the first line of the table, and
1790 point on column 15 in the last line of the table, and then run
1791 @code{sort-columns}. Equivalently, you could run it with the mark on
1792 column 15 in the first line and point on column 10 in the last line.
1794 This can be thought of as sorting the rectangle specified by point and
1795 the mark, except that the text on each line to the left or right of the
1796 rectangle moves along with the text inside the rectangle.
1799 @vindex sort-fold-case
1800 Many of the sort commands ignore case differences when comparing, if
1801 @code{sort-fold-case} is non-@code{nil}.
1803 @node Narrowing, Two-Column, Sorting, Top
1808 @cindex accessible portion
1810 @dfn{Narrowing} means focusing in on some portion of the buffer,
1811 making the rest temporarily inaccessible. The portion which you can
1812 still get to is called the @dfn{accessible portion}. Canceling the
1813 narrowing, which makes the entire buffer once again accessible, is
1814 called @dfn{widening}. The bounds of narrowing in effect in a buffer
1815 are called the buffer's @dfn{restriction}.
1817 Narrowing can make it easier to concentrate on a single subroutine or
1818 paragraph by eliminating clutter. It can also be used to limit the
1819 range of operation of a replace command or repeating keyboard macro.
1823 Narrow down to between point and mark (@code{narrow-to-region}).
1825 Widen to make the entire buffer accessible again (@code{widen}).
1827 Narrow down to the current page (@code{narrow-to-page}).
1829 Narrow down to the current defun (@code{narrow-to-defun}).
1832 When you have narrowed down to a part of the buffer, that part appears
1833 to be all there is. You can't see the rest, you can't move into it
1834 (motion commands won't go outside the accessible part), you can't change
1835 it in any way. However, it is not gone, and if you save the file all
1836 the inaccessible text will be saved. The word @samp{Narrow} appears in
1837 the mode line whenever narrowing is in effect.
1840 @findex narrow-to-region
1841 The primary narrowing command is @kbd{C-x n n} (@code{narrow-to-region}).
1842 It sets the current buffer's restrictions so that the text in the current
1843 region remains accessible, but all text before the region or after the
1844 region is inaccessible. Point and mark do not change.
1847 @findex narrow-to-page
1849 @findex narrow-to-defun
1850 Alternatively, use @kbd{C-x n p} (@code{narrow-to-page}) to narrow
1851 down to the current page. @xref{Pages}, for the definition of a page.
1852 @kbd{C-x n d} (@code{narrow-to-defun}) narrows down to the defun
1853 containing point (@pxref{Defuns}).
1857 The way to cancel narrowing is to widen with @kbd{C-x n w}
1858 (@code{widen}). This makes all text in the buffer accessible again.
1860 You can get information on what part of the buffer you are narrowed down
1861 to using the @kbd{C-x =} command. @xref{Position Info}.
1863 Because narrowing can easily confuse users who do not understand it,
1864 @code{narrow-to-region} is normally a disabled command. Attempting to use
1865 this command asks for confirmation and gives you the option of enabling it;
1866 if you enable the command, confirmation will no longer be required for
1867 it. @xref{Disabling}.
1869 @node Two-Column, Editing Binary Files, Narrowing, Top
1870 @section Two-Column Editing
1871 @cindex two-column editing
1872 @cindex splitting columns
1873 @cindex columns, splitting
1875 Two-column mode lets you conveniently edit two side-by-side columns of
1876 text. It uses two side-by-side windows, each showing its own
1879 There are three ways to enter two-column mode:
1882 @item @kbd{@key{F2} 2} or @kbd{C-x 6 2}
1885 @findex 2C-two-columns
1886 Enter two-column mode with the current buffer on the left, and on the
1887 right, a buffer whose name is based on the current buffer's name
1888 (@code{2C-two-columns}). If the right-hand buffer doesn't already
1889 exist, it starts out empty; the current buffer's contents are not
1892 This command is appropriate when the current buffer is empty or contains
1893 just one column and you want to add another column.
1895 @item @kbd{@key{F2} s} or @kbd{C-x 6 s}
1899 Split the current buffer, which contains two-column text, into two
1900 buffers, and display them side by side (@code{2C-split}). The current
1901 buffer becomes the left-hand buffer, but the text in the right-hand
1902 column is moved into the right-hand buffer. The current column
1903 specifies the split point. Splitting starts with the current line and
1904 continues to the end of the buffer.
1906 This command is appropriate when you have a buffer that already contains
1907 two-column text, and you wish to separate the columns temporarily.
1909 @item @kbd{@key{F2} b @var{buffer} @key{RET}}
1910 @itemx @kbd{C-x 6 b @var{buffer} @key{RET}}
1913 @findex 2C-associate-buffer
1914 Enter two-column mode using the current buffer as the left-hand buffer,
1915 and using buffer @var{buffer} as the right-hand buffer
1916 (@code{2C-associate-buffer}).
1919 @kbd{@key{F2} s} or @kbd{C-x 6 s} looks for a column separator, which
1920 is a string that appears on each line between the two columns. You can
1921 specify the width of the separator with a numeric argument to
1922 @kbd{@key{F2} s}; that many characters, before point, constitute the
1923 separator string. By default, the width is 1, so the column separator
1924 is the character before point.
1926 When a line has the separator at the proper place, @kbd{@key{F2} s}
1927 puts the text after the separator into the right-hand buffer, and
1928 deletes the separator. Lines that don't have the column separator at
1929 the proper place remain unsplit; they stay in the left-hand buffer, and
1930 the right-hand buffer gets an empty line to correspond. (This is the
1931 way to write a line that ``spans both columns while in two-column
1932 mode'': write it in the left-hand buffer, and put an empty line in the
1938 The command @kbd{C-x 6 @key{RET}} or @kbd{@key{F2} @key{RET}}
1939 (@code{2C-newline}) inserts a newline in each of the two buffers at
1940 corresponding positions. This is the easiest way to add a new line to
1941 the two-column text while editing it in split buffers.
1946 When you have edited both buffers as you wish, merge them with
1947 @kbd{@key{F2} 1} or @kbd{C-x 6 1} (@code{2C-merge}). This copies the
1948 text from the right-hand buffer as a second column in the other buffer.
1949 To go back to two-column editing, use @kbd{@key{F2} s}.
1953 @findex 2C-dissociate
1954 Use @kbd{@key{F2} d} or @kbd{C-x 6 d} to dissociate the two buffers,
1955 leaving each as it stands (@code{2C-dissociate}). If the other buffer,
1956 the one not current when you type @kbd{@key{F2} d}, is empty,
1957 @kbd{@key{F2} d} kills it.
1959 @node Editing Binary Files, Saving Emacs Sessions, Two-Column, Top
1960 @section Editing Binary Files
1964 @cindex editing binary files
1966 There is a special major mode for editing binary files: Hexl mode. To
1967 use it, use @kbd{M-x hexl-find-file} instead of @kbd{C-x C-f} to visit
1968 the file. This command converts the file's contents to hexadecimal and
1969 lets you edit the translation. When you save the file, it is converted
1970 automatically back to binary.
1972 You can also use @kbd{M-x hexl-mode} to translate an existing buffer
1973 into hex. This is useful if you visit a file normally and then discover
1974 it is a binary file.
1976 Ordinary text characters overwrite in Hexl mode. This is to reduce
1977 the risk of accidentally spoiling the alignment of data in the file.
1978 There are special commands for insertion. Here is a list of the
1979 commands of Hexl mode:
1981 @c I don't think individual index entries for these commands are useful--RMS.
1984 Insert a byte with a code typed in decimal.
1987 Insert a byte with a code typed in octal.
1990 Insert a byte with a code typed in hex.
1993 Move to the beginning of a 1k-byte ``page.''
1996 Move to the end of a 1k-byte ``page.''
1999 Move to an address specified in hex.
2002 Move to an address specified in decimal.
2005 Leave Hexl mode, going back to the major mode this buffer had before you
2006 invoked @code{hexl-mode}.
2010 Other Hexl commands let you insert strings (sequences) of binary
2011 bytes, move by @code{short}s or @code{int}s, etc.; type @kbd{C-h a
2012 hexl-@key{RET}} for details.
2015 @node Saving Emacs Sessions, Recursive Edit, Editing Binary Files, Top
2016 @section Saving Emacs Sessions
2017 @cindex saving sessions
2018 @cindex restore session
2019 @cindex remember editing session
2020 @cindex reload files
2023 Use the desktop library to save the state of Emacs from one session
2024 to another. Once you save the Emacs @dfn{desktop}---the buffers,
2025 their file names, major modes, buffer positions, and so on---then
2026 subsequent Emacs sessions reload the saved desktop.
2028 @findex desktop-save
2029 @vindex desktop-save-mode
2030 You can save the desktop manually with the command @kbd{M-x
2031 desktop-save}. You can also enable automatic saving of the desktop
2032 when you exit Emacs, and automatic restoration of the last saved
2033 desktop when Emacs starts: use the Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy
2034 Customization}) to set @code{desktop-save-mode} to @code{t} for future
2035 sessions, or add this line in your @file{~/.emacs} file:
2038 (desktop-save-mode 1)
2041 @findex desktop-change-dir
2042 @findex desktop-revert
2043 If you turn on @code{desktop-save-mode} in your @file{~/.emacs},
2044 then when Emacs starts, it looks for a saved desktop in the current
2045 directory. Thus, you can have separate saved desktops in different
2046 directories, and the starting directory determines which one Emacs
2047 reloads. You can save the current desktop and reload one saved in
2048 another directory by typing @kbd{M-x desktop-change-dir}. Typing
2049 @kbd{M-x desktop-revert} reverts to the desktop previously reloaded.
2051 Specify the option @samp{--no-desktop} on the command line when you
2052 don't want it to reload any saved desktop. This turns off
2053 @code{desktop-save-mode} for the current session. Starting Emacs with
2054 the @samp{--no-init-file} option also disables desktop reloading,
2055 since it bypasses the @file{.emacs} init file, where
2056 @code{desktop-save-mode} is usually turned on.
2058 @vindex desktop-restore-eager
2059 By default, all the buffers in the desktop are restored at one go.
2060 However, this may be slow if there are a lot of buffers in the
2061 desktop. You can specify the maximum number of buffers to restore
2062 immediately with the variable @code{desktop-restore-eager}; the
2063 remaining buffers are restored ``lazily,'' when Emacs is idle.
2065 @findex desktop-clear
2066 @vindex desktop-globals-to-clear
2067 @vindex desktop-clear-preserve-buffers-regexp
2068 Type @kbd{M-x desktop-clear} to empty the Emacs desktop. This kills
2069 all buffers except for internal ones, and clears the global variables
2070 listed in @code{desktop-globals-to-clear}. If you want this to
2071 preserve certain buffers, customize the variable
2072 @code{desktop-clear-preserve-buffers-regexp}, whose value is a regular
2073 expression matching the names of buffers not to kill.
2075 If you want to save minibuffer history from one session to
2076 another, use the @code{savehist} library.
2078 @node Recursive Edit, Emulation, Saving Emacs Sessions, Top
2079 @section Recursive Editing Levels
2080 @cindex recursive editing level
2081 @cindex editing level, recursive
2083 A @dfn{recursive edit} is a situation in which you are using Emacs
2084 commands to perform arbitrary editing while in the middle of another
2085 Emacs command. For example, when you type @kbd{C-r} inside of a
2086 @code{query-replace}, you enter a recursive edit in which you can change
2087 the current buffer. On exiting from the recursive edit, you go back to
2088 the @code{query-replace}.
2091 @findex exit-recursive-edit
2092 @cindex exiting recursive edit
2093 @dfn{Exiting} the recursive edit means returning to the unfinished
2094 command, which continues execution. The command to exit is @kbd{C-M-c}
2095 (@code{exit-recursive-edit}).
2097 You can also @dfn{abort} the recursive edit. This is like exiting,
2098 but also quits the unfinished command immediately. Use the command
2099 @kbd{C-]} (@code{abort-recursive-edit}) to do this. @xref{Quitting}.
2101 The mode line shows you when you are in a recursive edit by displaying
2102 square brackets around the parentheses that always surround the major and
2103 minor mode names. Every window's mode line shows this in the same way,
2104 since being in a recursive edit is true of Emacs as a whole rather than
2105 any particular window or buffer.
2107 It is possible to be in recursive edits within recursive edits. For
2108 example, after typing @kbd{C-r} in a @code{query-replace}, you may type a
2109 command that enters the debugger. This begins a recursive editing level
2110 for the debugger, within the recursive editing level for @kbd{C-r}.
2111 Mode lines display a pair of square brackets for each recursive editing
2112 level currently in progress.
2114 Exiting the inner recursive edit (such as with the debugger @kbd{c}
2115 command) resumes the command running in the next level up. When that
2116 command finishes, you can then use @kbd{C-M-c} to exit another recursive
2117 editing level, and so on. Exiting applies to the innermost level only.
2118 Aborting also gets out of only one level of recursive edit; it returns
2119 immediately to the command level of the previous recursive edit. If you
2120 wish, you can then abort the next recursive editing level.
2122 Alternatively, the command @kbd{M-x top-level} aborts all levels of
2123 recursive edits, returning immediately to the top-level command reader.
2125 The text being edited inside the recursive edit need not be the same text
2126 that you were editing at top level. It depends on what the recursive edit
2127 is for. If the command that invokes the recursive edit selects a different
2128 buffer first, that is the buffer you will edit recursively. In any case,
2129 you can switch buffers within the recursive edit in the normal manner (as
2130 long as the buffer-switching keys have not been rebound). You could
2131 probably do all the rest of your editing inside the recursive edit,
2132 visiting files and all. But this could have surprising effects (such as
2133 stack overflow) from time to time. So remember to exit or abort the
2134 recursive edit when you no longer need it.
2136 In general, we try to minimize the use of recursive editing levels in
2137 GNU Emacs. This is because they constrain you to ``go back'' in a
2138 particular order---from the innermost level toward the top level. When
2139 possible, we present different activities in separate buffers so that
2140 you can switch between them as you please. Some commands switch to a
2141 new major mode which provides a command to switch back. These
2142 approaches give you more flexibility to go back to unfinished tasks in
2143 the order you choose.
2145 @node Emulation, Hyperlinking, Recursive Edit, Top
2147 @cindex emulating other editors
2148 @cindex other editors
2151 @cindex PC key bindings
2152 @cindex scrolling all windows
2153 @cindex PC selection
2154 @cindex Motif key bindings
2155 @cindex Macintosh key bindings
2158 GNU Emacs can be programmed to emulate (more or less) most other
2159 editors. Standard facilities can emulate these:
2162 @item CRiSP/Brief (PC editor)
2164 @vindex crisp-override-meta-x
2165 @findex scroll-all-mode
2167 @cindex Brief emulation
2168 @cindex emulation of Brief
2170 You can turn on key bindings to emulate the CRiSP/Brief editor with
2171 @kbd{M-x crisp-mode}. Note that this rebinds @kbd{M-x} to exit Emacs
2172 unless you set the variable @code{crisp-override-meta-x}. You can
2173 also use the command @kbd{M-x scroll-all-mode} or set the variable
2174 @code{crisp-load-scroll-all} to emulate CRiSP's scroll-all feature
2175 (scrolling all windows together).
2177 @item EDT (DEC VMS editor)
2178 @findex edt-emulation-on
2179 @findex edt-emulation-off
2180 Turn on EDT emulation with the command @kbd{M-x edt-emulation-on},
2181 while @kbd{M-x edt-emulation-off} restores normal Emacs command
2184 Most of the EDT emulation commands are keypad keys, and most standard
2185 Emacs key bindings are still available. The EDT emulation rebindings
2186 are done in the global keymap, so there is no problem switching
2187 buffers or major modes while in EDT emulation.
2189 @item TPU (DEC VMS editor)
2192 @kbd{M-x tpu-edt-on} turns on emulation of the TPU editor emulating EDT.
2194 @item vi (Berkeley editor)
2196 Viper is the newest emulator for vi. It implements several levels of
2197 emulation; level 1 is closest to vi itself, while level 5 departs
2198 somewhat from strict emulation to take advantage of the capabilities of
2199 Emacs. To invoke Viper, type @kbd{M-x viper-mode}; it will guide you
2200 the rest of the way and ask for the emulation level. @inforef{Top,
2203 @item vi (another emulator)
2205 @kbd{M-x vi-mode} enters a major mode that replaces the previously
2206 established major mode. All of the vi commands that, in real vi, enter
2207 ``input'' mode are programmed instead to return to the previous major
2208 mode. Thus, ordinary Emacs serves as vi's ``input'' mode.
2210 Because vi emulation works through major modes, it does not work
2211 to switch buffers during emulation. Return to normal Emacs first.
2213 If you plan to use vi emulation much, you probably want to bind a key
2214 to the @code{vi-mode} command.
2216 @item vi (alternate emulator)
2218 @kbd{M-x vip-mode} invokes another vi emulator, said to resemble real vi
2219 more thoroughly than @kbd{M-x vi-mode}. ``Input'' mode in this emulator
2220 is changed from ordinary Emacs so you can use @key{ESC} to go back to
2221 emulated vi command mode. To get from emulated vi command mode back to
2222 ordinary Emacs, type @kbd{C-z}.
2224 This emulation does not work through major modes, and it is possible
2225 to switch buffers in various ways within the emulator. It is not
2226 so necessary to assign a key to the command @code{vip-mode} as
2227 it is with @code{vi-mode} because terminating insert mode does
2230 @inforef{Top, VIP, vip}, for full information.
2232 @item WordStar (old wordprocessor)
2233 @findex wordstar-mode
2234 @kbd{M-x wordstar-mode} provides a major mode with WordStar-like
2238 @node Hyperlinking, Dissociated Press, Emulation, Top
2239 @section Hyperlinking and Navigation Features
2241 @cindex hyperlinking
2243 Various modes documented elsewhere have hypertext features so that
2244 you can follow links, usually by clicking @kbd{Mouse-2} on the link or
2245 typing @key{RET} while point is on the link. Clicking @kbd{Mouse-1}
2246 quickly on the link also follows it. (Hold @kbd{Mouse-1} for longer
2247 if you want to set point instead.)
2249 Info mode, Help mode and the Dired-like modes are examples of modes
2250 that have links in the buffer. The Tags facility links between uses
2251 and definitions in source files, see @ref{Tags}. Imenu provides
2252 navigation amongst items indexed in the current buffer, see
2253 @ref{Imenu}. Info-lookup provides mode-specific lookup of definitions
2254 in Info indexes, see @ref{Documentation}. Speedbar maintains a frame
2255 in which links to files, and locations in files are displayed, see
2258 Other non-mode-specific facilities described in this section enable
2259 following links from the current buffer in a context-sensitive
2263 * Browse-URL:: Following URLs.
2264 * Goto-address:: Activating URLs.
2265 * FFAP:: Finding files etc. at point.
2269 @subsection Following URLs
2270 @cindex World Wide Web
2273 @findex browse-url-at-point
2274 @findex browse-url-at-mouse
2279 @item M-x browse-url @key{RET} @var{url} @key{RET}
2280 Load a URL into a Web browser.
2283 The Browse-URL package provides facilities for following URLs specifying
2284 links on the World Wide Web. Usually this works by invoking a web
2285 browser, but you can, for instance, arrange to invoke @code{compose-mail}
2286 from @samp{mailto:} URLs.
2288 The general way to use this feature is to type @kbd{M-x browse-url},
2289 which displays a specified URL. If point is located near a plausible
2290 URL, that URL is used as the default. Other commands are available
2291 which you might like to bind to keys, such as
2292 @code{browse-url-at-point} and @code{browse-url-at-mouse}.
2294 @vindex browse-url-browser-function
2295 You can customize Browse-URL's behavior via various options in the
2296 @code{browse-url} Customize group, particularly
2297 @code{browse-url-browser-function}. You can invoke actions dependent
2298 on the type of URL by defining @code{browse-url-browser-function} as
2299 an association list. The package's commentary available via @kbd{C-h
2300 p} under the @samp{hypermedia} keyword provides more information.
2301 Packages with facilities for following URLs should always go through
2302 Browse-URL, so that the customization options for Browse-URL will
2303 affect all browsing in Emacs.
2306 @subsection Activating URLs
2307 @findex goto-address
2308 @cindex Goto-address
2309 @cindex URLs, activating
2312 @item M-x goto-address
2313 Activate URLs and e-mail addresses in the current buffer.
2316 You can make URLs in the current buffer active with @kbd{M-x
2317 goto-address}. This finds all the URLs in the buffer, and establishes
2318 bindings for @kbd{Mouse-2} and @kbd{C-c @key{RET}} on them. After
2319 activation, if you click on a URL with @kbd{Mouse-2}, or move to a URL
2320 and type @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}, that will display the web page that the URL
2321 specifies. For a @samp{mailto} URL, it sends mail instead, using your
2322 selected mail-composition method (@pxref{Mail Methods}).
2324 It can be useful to add @code{goto-address} to mode hooks and the
2325 hooks used to display an incoming message.
2326 @code{rmail-show-message-hook} is the appropriate hook for Rmail, and
2327 @code{mh-show-mode-hook} for MH-E. This is not needed for Gnus,
2328 which has a similar feature of its own.
2332 @subsection Finding Files and URLs at Point
2333 @findex find-file-at-point
2335 @findex dired-at-point
2338 @cindex finding file at point
2340 FFAP mode replaces certain key bindings for finding files, including
2341 @kbd{C-x C-f}, with commands that provide more sensitive defaults.
2342 These commands behave like the ordinary ones when given a prefix
2343 argument. Otherwise, they get the default file name or URL from the
2344 text around point. If what is found in the buffer has the form of a
2345 URL rather than a file name, the commands use @code{browse-url} to
2348 This feature is useful for following references in mail or news
2349 buffers, @file{README} files, @file{MANIFEST} files, and so on. The
2350 @samp{ffap} package's commentary available via @kbd{C-h p} under the
2351 @samp{files} keyword and the @code{ffap} Custom group provide details.
2353 @cindex FFAP minor mode
2355 You can turn on FFAP minor mode by calling @code{ffap-bindings} to
2356 make the following key bindings and to install hooks for using
2357 @code{ffap} in Rmail, Gnus and VM article buffers.
2360 @item C-x C-f @var{filename} @key{RET}
2361 @kindex C-x C-f @r{(FFAP)}
2362 Find @var{filename}, guessing a default from text around point
2363 (@code{find-file-at-point}).
2365 @kindex C-x C-r @r{(FFAP)}
2366 @code{ffap-read-only}, analogous to @code{find-file-read-only}.
2368 @kindex C-x C-v @r{(FFAP)}
2369 @code{ffap-alternate-file}, analogous to @code{find-alternate-file}.
2370 @item C-x d @var{directory} @key{RET}
2371 @kindex C-x d @r{(FFAP)}
2372 Start Dired on @var{directory}, defaulting to the directory name at
2373 point (@code{dired-at-point}).
2375 @code{ffap-list-directory}, analogous to @code{list-directory}.
2377 @kindex C-x 4 f @r{(FFAP)}
2378 @code{ffap-other-window}, analogous to @code{find-file-other-window}.
2380 @code{ffap-read-only-other-window}, analogous to
2381 @code{find-file-read-only-other-window}.
2383 @code{ffap-dired-other-window}, analogous to @code{dired-other-window}.
2385 @kindex C-x 5 f @r{(FFAP)}
2386 @code{ffap-other-frame}, analogous to @code{find-file-other-frame}.
2388 @code{ffap-read-only-other-frame}, analogous to
2389 @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
2391 @code{ffap-dired-other-frame}, analogous to @code{dired-other-frame}.
2393 Search buffer for next file name or URL, then find that file or URL.
2395 @kindex S-Mouse-3 @r{(FFAP)}
2396 @code{ffap-at-mouse} finds the file guessed from text around the position
2399 @kindex C-S-Mouse-3 @r{(FFAP)}
2400 Display a menu of files and URLs mentioned in current buffer, then
2401 find the one you select (@code{ffap-menu}).
2404 @node Dissociated Press, Amusements, Hyperlinking, Top
2405 @section Dissociated Press
2407 @findex dissociated-press
2408 @kbd{M-x dissociated-press} is a command for scrambling a file of text
2409 either word by word or character by character. Starting from a buffer of
2410 straight English, it produces extremely amusing output. The input comes
2411 from the current Emacs buffer. Dissociated Press writes its output in a
2412 buffer named @samp{*Dissociation*}, and redisplays that buffer after every
2413 couple of lines (approximately) so you can read the output as it comes out.
2415 Dissociated Press asks every so often whether to continue generating
2416 output. Answer @kbd{n} to stop it. You can also stop at any time by
2417 typing @kbd{C-g}. The dissociation output remains in the
2418 @samp{*Dissociation*} buffer for you to copy elsewhere if you wish.
2420 @cindex presidentagon
2421 Dissociated Press operates by jumping at random from one point in the
2422 buffer to another. In order to produce plausible output rather than
2423 gibberish, it insists on a certain amount of overlap between the end of
2424 one run of consecutive words or characters and the start of the next.
2425 That is, if it has just output `president' and then decides to jump
2426 to a different point in the file, it might spot the `ent' in `pentagon'
2427 and continue from there, producing `presidentagon'.@footnote{This
2428 dissociword actually appeared during the Vietnam War, when it was very
2429 appropriate. Bush has made it appropriate again.} Long sample texts
2430 produce the best results.
2432 @cindex againformation
2433 A positive argument to @kbd{M-x dissociated-press} tells it to operate
2434 character by character, and specifies the number of overlap characters. A
2435 negative argument tells it to operate word by word, and specifies the number
2436 of overlap words. In this mode, whole words are treated as the elements to
2437 be permuted, rather than characters. No argument is equivalent to an
2438 argument of two. For your againformation, the output goes only into the
2439 buffer @samp{*Dissociation*}. The buffer you start with is not changed.
2441 @cindex Markov chain
2443 @cindex techniquitous
2444 Dissociated Press produces results fairly like those of a Markov
2445 chain based on a frequency table constructed from the sample text. It
2446 is, however, an independent, ignoriginal invention. Dissociated Press
2447 techniquitously copies several consecutive characters from the sample
2448 between random choices, whereas a Markov chain would choose randomly
2449 for each word or character. This makes for more plausible sounding
2450 results, and runs faster.
2456 @cindex developediment
2458 It is a mustatement that too much use of Dissociated Press can be a
2459 developediment to your real work, sometimes to the point of outragedy.
2460 And keep dissociwords out of your documentation, if you want it to be well
2461 userenced and properbose. Have fun. Your buggestions are welcome.
2463 @node Amusements, Customization, Dissociated Press, Top
2464 @section Other Amusements
2469 @cindex tower of Hanoi
2471 If you are a little bit bored, you can try @kbd{M-x hanoi}. If you are
2472 considerably bored, give it a numeric argument. If you are very, very
2473 bored, try an argument of 9. Sit back and watch.
2476 If you want a little more personal involvement, try @kbd{M-x gomoku},
2477 which plays the game Go Moku with you.
2483 @kbd{M-x blackbox}, @kbd{M-x mpuz} and @kbd{M-x 5x5} are puzzles.
2484 @code{blackbox} challenges you to determine the location of objects
2485 inside a box by tomography. @code{mpuz} displays a multiplication
2486 puzzle with letters standing for digits in a code that you must
2487 guess---to guess a value, type a letter and then the digit you think it
2488 stands for. The aim of @code{5x5} is to fill in all the squares.
2492 @cindex cryptanalysis
2493 @kbd{M-x decipher} helps you to cryptanalyze a buffer which is encrypted
2494 in a simple monoalphabetic substitution cipher.
2497 @kbd{M-x dunnet} runs an adventure-style exploration game, which is
2498 a bigger sort of puzzle.
2501 @cindex landmark game
2502 @kbd{M-x lm} runs a relatively non-participatory game in which a robot
2503 attempts to maneuver towards a tree at the center of the window based on
2504 unique olfactory cues from each of the four directions.
2508 @kbd{M-x life} runs Conway's ``Life'' cellular automaton.
2510 @findex morse-region
2511 @findex unmorse-region
2513 @cindex --/---/.-./.../.
2514 @kbd{M-x morse-region} converts text in a region to Morse code and
2515 @kbd{M-x unmorse-region} converts it back. No cause for remorse.
2519 @kbd{M-x pong} plays a Pong-like game, bouncing the ball off opposing
2524 @kbd{M-x solitaire} plays a game of solitaire in which you jump pegs
2527 @findex studlify-region
2529 @kbd{M-x studlify-region} studlify-cases the region, producing
2533 M-x stUdlIfY-RegioN stUdlIfY-CaSeS thE region.
2540 @kbd{M-x tetris} runs an implementation of the well-known Tetris game.
2541 Likewise, @kbd{M-x snake} provides an implementation of Snake.
2543 When you are frustrated, try the famous Eliza program. Just do
2544 @kbd{M-x doctor}. End each input by typing @key{RET} twice.
2547 When you are feeling strange, type @kbd{M-x yow}.
2550 The command @kbd{M-x zone} plays games with the display when Emacs is
2558 arch-tag: 8f094220-c0d5-4e9e-af7d-3e0da8187474