Introduction to Emacs

HOW TO START EMACS

The easiest way is to type "emacs &" in a shell.

SPECIAL KEYS

There are two special keys that you will find yourself using over and over in Emacs. They are:

the "control" key is easy to find -- it's the key with "control" written on it. The control key is usually notated C-, so the notation C-x means "hold down the control key and press x".
the "meta" key is usually located near the space bar -- it's the button with the diamond on top. The meta key is notated M-, so M-x means "hold down the meta key and press x"

TYPING TEXT IN EMACS

Just type some stuff. It will insert it.

QUITTING EMACS

C-x C-c

BASIC CURSOR CONTROL

Usually the arrow keys and page-up/down keys will work as you would expect them to in Emacs. However, if they don't, you can always use these commands:

	C-v	Go down one page
	M-v	Go up one page
	C-f	Move forward (right) one character
	C-b	Move backward (left) one character
	C-n	Move to the next line
	C-p	Move to the previous line

MORE ADVANCED CURSOR CONTROL

If you really like moving around in Emacs, here's some more key bindings for you:

	
	M-f	Move forward a word
	M-b	Move backward a word
	C-a	Move to beginning of line
	C-e	Move to end of line
	M-a	Move back to beginning of sentence
	M-e	Move forward to end of sentence
	M-<	Go to beginning of file
	M->	Go to end of file

FILES

Here are the basic commands you need to load and save files:

To view the name of the current file, look near the bottom of the Emacs screen.
To load a file: type C-x C-f. This puts you in a mini-buffer in which you type the filename of the file you want to load. When you are finished typing the filename, hit . Do NOT use the mouse to get out of the minibuffer.
To save a file: type C-x C-s. Save often in case your computer crashes.
To create a file: Type C-x C-f as if you were loading an already existant file, and type the filename of the new file. Emacs will create the new file when you save it.
To save a file to a new name: Type C-x C-w, and then type the new filename, followed by a return.

GETTING HELP IN EMACS

There are several ways to find help in Emacs:

	C-h t        runs the tutorial
	C-h k        describe key (long)
	C-h c        descibe key (short)
	C-h C-h C-h  more info

MISCELLANEOUS COMMANDS

Listed below are some assorted commands that you may find useful for editing documents:

Text deletion commands

	DEL   delete the character just before the cursor
	C-d   delete the next character after the cursor
	M-DEL kill the word immediately before the cursor
	M-d   kill the next word after the cursor
	C-k   kill from the cursor position to end of line

Whoops! (How to undo commands)

	C-_ (or C-x u)  Undo last change.
	C-u 10 C-_      Undo 10 last changes.
	C-g			 Abort a partially typed or executing command
	M-x recover-file  Use this as a last resort to recover a lost file

Inserting text

	C-x i   Inserts a file into the buffer

Searching for stuff

	M-x goto-line   This jumps to a specified line in the file
	(useful for debugging)
	C-r,s   Search backwards and forwards in the file for pattern

Fun stuff
```
	M-x hanoi
	M-x doctor
```

MORE INFORMATION

If you're insterested in learning more about emacs, you can try looking at these sites:

CS103