emacs essentials

gistfile1.txt

File Handling Commands

    C-x C-v		find-alternate-file	Read a different file.
    C-x i		insert-file		Insert a file at the cursors position.
    C-x C-w		write-file		Write the contents of the buffer to a file.
    C-z		suspend-emacs		Suspend emacs.




    Cursor Movement Commands
    M-a		backward-sentence	Move back one sentence.        
    C-x [		backward-page		Go back one page.
    C-x ]		forward-page		Go forward one page.

    C-l		recenter		Redraw the screen with the current line in the center.
    M-(a number)	digit-argument		Do the next command (a number) of times.

    Deletion Commands

    M-Del		backward-kill-word	Delete the previous word.
    C-k		kill-line		Delete from the cursor to the end of line.
    M-k		kill-sentence		Delete the sentence the cursor is in.
    C-x Del		backward-kill-sentence	Delete the previous sentence.
    C-w		kill-region		Delete a marked region.
    		backward-kill-paragraph	Delete the previous paragraph.
    		kill-paragraph		Delete from the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

    Paragraphs and Regions

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

    Stopping and Undoing Commands

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

    Transposition Commands

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

    Capitalization Commands
    M-u		upcase-word		Make the word all uppercase.
    M-l		downcase-word		Make the word all lowercase.
    C-x C-l		downcase-region		Make the region all lowercase.
C-x C-u		uppercase-region	Make the region all uppercase.

Incremental Search Commands

C-s		isearch-forward		Start an incremental search forward.
C-r		isearch-backward	Starts an incremental search in the reverse direction.
Meta					Stop a successful search.
C-g		keyboard-quit		Stop searching and return to the starting point.
Del					Delete an incorrect character whilst searching.

Word Abbreviation Commands

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

Buffer Manipulation Commands

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

Window Commands

C-x 2		split-window-horizontally	Divide the current window horizontally in two.
C-x 5		split-windws-vertically		Divide the current window vertically in two.
C-x >		scroll-right			Scroll the window right.
C-x <		scroll-left			Scroll the window left.
C-x 0		delete-window			Delete the current window.
C-x 1		delete-other-windows		Delete all the windows except this one.
delete-windows-on		Delete all windows open to a particular buffer.
C-x ^		enlarge-window			Make the current window taller.
shrink-window			Make the current window smaller.
C-x }		enlarge-window-horizontally	Make the window wider.
C-x {		shrink-window-horizontally	Make the window less wide.
M-C-v		scroll-other-window		Scroll the other window.
C-x 4 f		find-file-other-window		Find a file in the other window.
C-x 4 b		switch-to-buffer-other-window	Select a buffer in the other window.
compare-windows			Compare two buffers and show the first difference.

Special Shell Characters

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

Indentation Commands

C-x		set-fill-prefix		Prepend each line in paragrph with characters
from beginning of the line up to the current
cursor column.  cancel by doing this in column 1.


    M-C-\		indent-region		Indent a region to match the first line in region.
    M-m		back-to-indentation	Move the cursor to first character in line.
    M-C-o		split-line			Split line at cursor into two lines...  weird.
    		fill-individual-paragraphs	Reformat indented paragraphs, keep indentation.

    Centering Commands

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

    Macro Commands

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

    Detail Information Help Commands

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



    Repeating Previous Commands

    Repeat the most recent command: ‘C-x z’, and again with ‘z’.
    See the recent commands (displayed in EmacsLisp): ‘M-x list-command-history’. Rerun a command by hitting ‘x’ on the line containing a command.
    RepeatingComplexCommand allows you to choose which previous command as EmacsLisp and even modify it.