emacs(1)
help
C-h ? list available help modes
C-h e show message output (`*Messages*` buffer)
C-h f describe function
C-h v describe variable
C-h w describe which key invoke function (where-is)
C-h c <KEY> print command bound to <KEY>
C-h k <KEY> describe command bound to <KEY>
C-h b list buffer local key-bindings
C-h F show emacs manual for command/function
<kseq> C-h list possible key-bindings with <kseq>
eg C-x C-h -> list key-bindings beginning with C-x
package manager
key fn description
------------------------------------------------
package-refresh-contents refresh package list
package-list-packages list available/installed packages
`U x` to mark packages for Upgrade & eXecute
window
key fn description
----------------------------------------------
C-x 0 delete-window kill focused window
C-x 1 delete-other-windows kill all other windows
C-x 2 split-window-below split horizontal
C-x 3 split-window-right split vertical
C-x o other-window other window (cycle)
C-x r w window-configuration-to-register
save window configuration in a register
(use C-x r j to jump to the windows config again)
C-x w d toggle-window-dedicated toggles windows dedicated state
(dedicated windows cant be reused by display functions)
minibuffer
key description
----------------------------
M-e enter edit minibuffer edit mode
M-up focus previous completion
M-down focus next completion
M-ret select focused completion
buffer
key fn description
---------------------------------------------
C-x C-q read-only-mode toggle read-only mode for buffer
C-x k kill-buffer kill buffer
C-x s save-some-buffers save buffer
C-x w write-file write buffer (save as)
C-x b switch-to-buffer switch buffer
C-x C-b list-buffers buffer list
C-x x r rename-buffer renames a buffer (allows multiple shell, compile, grep, .. buffers)
ibuffer
Builtin advanced buffer selection mode
key fn description
--------------------------------------
ibuffer enter buffer selection
h ibuffer help
d mark for deletion
x kill buffers marked for deletion
o open buffer in other window
C-o open buffer in other window keep focus in ibuffer
s a sort by buffer name
s f sort by file name
s v sort by last viewed
s v sort by major mode
, cycle sorting mode
= compare buffer against file on disk (if file is dirty `*`)
/m filter by major mode
/n filter by buffer name
/f filter by file name
/i filter by modified buffers
/E filter by process buffers
// remove all filter
/g create filter group
/\ remove all filter groups
goto navigation
key fn description
----------------------------------------
M-g g goto-line go to line
M-g M-n next-error go to next error (grep, xref, compilation, ...)
M-g M-p previous-error go to previous error
M-g i imenu go to place in buffer (symbol, ...)
M-< go to begin of buffer
M-> go to end of buffer
isearch
key fn description
-------------------------------------------------
C-s isearch-forward search forward from current position (C-s to go to next match)
C-r isearch-backward search backwards from current position (C-r to go to next match)
C-w isearch-yank-word-or-char feed next word to current search (extend)
M-p isearch-ring-advance previous search input
M-n isearch-ring-retreat next search input
M-e isearch-edit-string edit search string again
M-s o occur open search string in occur
occur
key fn description
-----------------------------------
M-s o occur get matches for regexp in buffer
use during `isearch` to use current search term
e enter occur edit mode (C-c C-c to quit)
n move to next entry and keep focus in occur buffer
p move to previous entry and keep focus in occur buffer
C-n goto next line
C-p goto previous line
o open match in other window
C-o open match in other window keep focus in ibuffer
key fn description
---------------------------------------------------------
multi-occur-in-matching-buffers run occur in buffers matching regexp
occur-edit-mode in occur buffer, enter edit mode.
C-c C-c after editing to save changes.
grep
key fn description
-----------------------------------
rgrep recursive grep
lgrep local dir grep
grep raw grep command
find-grep run find-grep result in *grep* buffer
n/p navigate next/previous match in *grep* buffer
q quit *grep* buffer
highlight
key fn description
----------------------------------------------------------
M-s h . highlight-symbol-at-point use C-u prefix to select color
M-s h r highlight-regexp use C-u prefix to select color
M-s h l highlight-lines-matching-regexp use C-u prefix to select color
M-s h u unhighlight-regexp use C-u prefix to unselect all
yank/paste
key fn description
-------------------------------------------------
C-<SPACE> set-mark-command set start mark to select text
C-x C-x exchange-point-and-mark swap mark and point position
M-w kill-ring-save copy selected text
C-w kill-region kill selected text
C-y yank paste selected text
M-y yank-pop cycle through kill-ring (only after paste)
M-y yank-from-kill-ring interactively select yank from kill ring
register
key fn description
------------------------------------------------
C-x r s <reg> copy-to-register save region in register <reg>
C-x r i <reg> insert-register insert content of register <reg>
bookmarks
key fn description
-------------------------------------------
C-x r m bookmark-set set a bookmark
C-x r b bookmark-jump jump to a bookmark
C-x r l bookmark-bmenu-list list all bookmarks
block/rect
key fn description
------------------------------------------------
C-x <SPC> rectangle-mark-mode activate rectangle-mark-mode
string-rectangle insert text in marked rect
mass edit
key fn description
------------------------------------------------
C-x h mark-whole-buffer mark whole buffer
delete-matching-line delete lines matchng regex
kill-matching-line kill lines matching regex (puts them in kill ring)
keep-lines keep matching lines
replace-string replace unconditional
M-% query-replace search & replace
C-M-% query-replace-regexp search & replace regex
narrow
key fn description
---------------------------------------------
C-x n n narrow-to-region show only focused region (narrow)
C-x n w widen show whole buffer (wide)
org
key fn description
------------------------------------
M-up/M-down re-arrange items in same hierarchy
M-left/M-right change item hierarchy
C-RET create new item below current
C-S-RET create new TODO item below current
S-left/S-right cycle TODO states
org source
key fn description
------------------------------
<s TAB generate a source block
C-c ' edit source block (in lang specific buffer)
C-c C-c eval source block
project
key fn description
----------------------------------------------------------
C-x p p project-switch-project switch project
C-x p f project-find-file find file in project
C-x p r project-query-replace-regexp query replace on project
C-x p x project-execute-extended-command exec command on project
C-x p ! project-shell-command shell command on project
C-x p & project-async-shell-command async shell command on project
vc
key fn description
---------------------------------------------------
C-x v = vc-diff show diff of buffer
C-x v ~ vc-revision-other-window show other revison of buffer
tags / lsp
To generate etags using ctags
ctags -R -e . generate emacs tag file (important `-e`)
Navigate using tags
key fn description
-----------------------------------------------
M-. xref-find-definitions find definition of tag
(C-u prefix to enter symbol manually)
xref-find-apropos find symbols matching regexp
M-? xref-find-references find references of tag
completion
key fn description
------------------------------------------
C-M-i complete-symbol completion on text around point
(based on completion-at-point-functions)
M-/ dabbrev-expand dynamically expand at point, press to cycles
(based on typed words in buffer)
C-M-/ dabbrev-completion provide completion at point, interactive completion
(based on typed words in buffer)
ido
Builtin fuzzy completion mode (eg buffer select, dired, ...).
key fn description
------------------------------------------
ido-mode toggle ido mode
<Left>/<Right> cycle through available competions
<RET> select completion
There is also fido, which is the successor of ido, which also
supports fido-vertical-mode in case vertical mode is preferred.
evil
key fn description
--------------------------
C-z toggle emacs/evil mode
C-^ toggle between previous and current buffer
C-p after paste cycle kill-ring back
C-n after paste cycle kill-ring forward
dired
key fn description
--------------------------
i open sub-dir in same buffer
+ create new directory
C copy file/dir
R move file/dir (rename)
S absolute symbolic link
Y relative symbolic link
d mark for deletion
m mark file/dir at point
* % mark by regex
* * mark all executables
* / mark all dirs
u un-mark file/dir
U un-mark all
t toggle marks
x execute marked actions
! run shell command on marked files
& run shell command on marked files (async)
q quit
info
key fn description
---------------------------------------
n Info-next next page
p Info-prev previous page
l Info-history-back history go back
r Info-history-forward history go forward
^ Info-Up up in info node tree
s Info-search search info
g Info-goto-node goto info node (by minibuf completion)
a node is any section in a node tree
m Info-menu goto menu (by minibuf completion)
a node in the current nodes menu list
Info-history open info history in buffer
shell commands
key fn description
---------------------------------------------
M-! shell-command run shell command synchronously
M-& async-shell-command run shell command asynchronously
M-| shell-command-on-region run shell command on region;
prefix with C-u to replace region with
output of the command
interactive shell
Set ESHELL environment variable before starting emacs to change
default shell, else customize the explicit-shell-file-name variable.
key fn description
---------------------------------------------
M-x shell start interactive shell
C-u M-x shell start interactive shell & rename
M-r comint-history-isearch-backward-regexp
search history, invoke at end of shell buffer
M-p comint-previous-input go one up in history
C-<UP>
M-n comint-next-input go one down in history
C-<DOWN>
C-c C-a go begin of line (honors prompt)
C-c C-e go to end of line
C-c C-c interrupt active command
gdb
key fn description
------------------------------------------------
C-x C-a C-b gud-break create breakpoint
gdb-many-windows toggle gdb many window view
lisp
key fn description
------------------------------
ielm open interactive elips shell
In lisp-interaction-mode (*scratch* buffer by default)
key fn description
-----------------------------------------------------------
C-j eval-print-last-sexp evaluate & print symbolic expression
(last before the cursor)
C-x C-e eval-last-sexp evaluate symbolic expression (last)
C-c C-e elisp-eval-region-or-buffer eval buffer or region (elisp mode)
C-M-x eval-defun evaluate top-level function
(surrounding cursor position)
elisp
When evaluating a symbol by itself, its value is returned.
(setq foo "bar")
foo
"bar" ;; C-j
When evaluating a list, the first symbol in the list is interpreted as function.
(defun foo (a b)
(+ 1 2 a b))
(foo 1 2)
6 ;; C-j
;; Expressions are evaluated left-to-right and from inside-to-outside.
(+ 1 (string-to-number "2"))
3 ;; C-j
A symbol can be bound to a value and a function at the same time.
(setq moose 3)
(defun moose ()
(concat "abc" "def"))
moose
3 ;; C-j eval as value
(moose)
"abcdef" ;; C-j eval as function
If a symbol is quoted it is not evaluated.
'foo
foo ;; C-j dont eval as value
'(a b c)
(a b c) ;; C-j dont eval as function
(setq foo '(a b)) ;; the inner list is not evaluated
foo ;; C-j eval as value, contains un-evaluated list
(a b)
;; (quote ..) is equivalent to '
(quote bar)
bar ;; C-j
(quote (c d))
(c d) ;; C-j
;; print argument and print evaluated result
(defun p (arg)
(message "arg =%s" arg)
(message "eval=%s" (eval arg)))
;; pass quoted variable
(setq foo '(a b))
(p 'foo)
"arg =foo" ;; C-j and take print from *Message* buffer
"eval=(a b)"
;; pass quoted function
(p '(concat "a" "b"))
"arg =(concat a b)" ;; C-j and take print from *Message* buffer
"eval=ab"