Fix typos.

[bpt/emacs.git] / doc / emacs / misc.texi

@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2000-2011
@c   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@iftex
@chapter Miscellaneous Commands

  This chapter contains several brief topics that do not fit anywhere
else: viewing ``document files'', reading netnews, running shell
commands and shell subprocesses, using a single shared Emacs for
utilities that expect to run an editor as a subprocess, printing
hardcopy, sorting text, narrowing display to part of the buffer,
editing binary files, saving an Emacs session for later resumption,
following hyperlinks, browsing images, emulating other editors, and
various diversions and amusements.

@end iftex

@ifnottex
@raisesections
@end ifnottex

@node Gnus
@section Gnus
@cindex Gnus
@cindex reading netnews

Gnus is an Emacs package primarily designed for reading and posting
Usenet news.  It can also be used to read and respond to messages from a
number of other sources---mail, remote directories, digests, and so on.
Here we introduce Gnus and describe several basic features.
@ifnottex
For full details, see @ref{Top, Gnus,, gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
@end ifnottex
@iftex
For full details on Gnus, type @kbd{C-h i} and then select the Gnus
manual.
@end iftex

@findex gnus
To start Gnus, type @kbd{M-x gnus @key{RET}}.

@menu
* Buffers of Gnus::     The group, summary, and article buffers.
* Gnus Startup::        What you should know about starting Gnus.
* Summary of Gnus::     A short description of the basic Gnus commands.
@end menu

@node Buffers of Gnus
@subsection Gnus Buffers

Unlike most Emacs packages, Gnus uses several buffers to display
information and to receive commands.  The three Gnus buffers users use
most are the @dfn{group buffer}, the @dfn{summary buffer} and the
@dfn{article buffer}.

The @dfn{group buffer} contains a list of newsgroups.  This is the
first buffer Gnus displays when it starts up.  It normally displays
only the groups to which you subscribe and that contain unread
articles.  Use this buffer to select a specific group.

The @dfn{summary buffer} lists one line for each article in a single
group.  By default, the author, the subject and the line number are
displayed for each article, but this is customizable, like most aspects
of Gnus display.  The summary buffer is created when you select a group
in the group buffer, and is killed when you exit the group.  Use this
buffer to select an article.

The @dfn{article buffer} displays the article.  In normal Gnus usage,
you see this buffer but you don't select it---all useful
article-oriented commands work in the summary buffer.  But you can
select the article buffer, and execute all Gnus commands from that
buffer, if you want to.

@node Gnus Startup
@subsection When Gnus Starts Up

At startup, Gnus reads your @file{.newsrc} news initialization file
and attempts to communicate with the local news server, which is a
repository of news articles.  The news server need not be the same
computer you are logged in on.

If you start Gnus and connect to the server, but do not see any
newsgroups listed in the group buffer, type @kbd{L} or @kbd{A k} to get
a listing of all the groups.  Then type @kbd{u} to toggle
subscription to groups.

The first time you start Gnus, Gnus subscribes you to a few selected
groups.  All other groups start out as @dfn{killed groups} for you; you
can list them with @kbd{A k}.  All new groups that subsequently come to
exist at the news server become @dfn{zombie groups} for you; type @kbd{A
z} to list them.  You can subscribe to a group shown in these lists
using the @kbd{u} command.

When you quit Gnus with @kbd{q}, it automatically records in your
@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.eld} initialization files the
subscribed or unsubscribed status of all groups.  You should normally
not edit these files manually, but you may if you know how.

@node Summary of Gnus
@subsection Summary of Gnus Commands

Reading news is a two-step process:

@enumerate
@item
Choose a group in the group buffer.

@item
Select articles from the summary buffer.  Each article selected is
displayed in the article buffer in a large window, below the summary
buffer in its small window.
@end enumerate

  Each Gnus buffer has its own special commands; the meanings of any
given key in the various Gnus buffers are usually analogous, even if
not identical.  Here are commands for the group and summary buffers:

@table @kbd
@kindex q @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
@findex gnus-group-exit
@item q
In the group buffer, update your @file{.newsrc} initialization file
and quit Gnus.

In the summary buffer, exit the current group and return to the
group buffer.  Thus, typing @kbd{q} twice quits Gnus.

@kindex L @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
@item L
In the group buffer, list all the groups available on your news
server (except those you have killed).  This may be a long list!

@kindex l @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
@findex gnus-group-list-groups
@item l
In the group buffer, list only the groups to which you subscribe and
which contain unread articles.

@kindex u @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
@cindex subscribe groups
@cindex unsubscribe groups
@item u
In the group buffer, unsubscribe from (or subscribe to) the group listed
in the line that point is on.  When you quit Gnus by typing @kbd{q},
Gnus lists in your @file{.newsrc} file which groups you have subscribed
to.  The next time you start Gnus, you won't see this group,
because Gnus normally displays only subscribed-to groups.

@kindex C-k @r{(Gnus)}
@findex gnus-group-kill-group
@item C-k
In the group buffer, ``kill'' the current line's group---don't
even list it in @file{.newsrc} from now on.  This affects future
Gnus sessions as well as the present session.

When you quit Gnus by typing @kbd{q}, Gnus writes information
in the file @file{.newsrc} describing all newsgroups except those you
have ``killed.''

@kindex SPC @r{(Gnus)}
@findex gnus-group-read-group
@item @key{SPC}
In the group buffer, select the group on the line under the cursor
and display the first unread article in that group.

@need 1000
In the summary buffer,

@itemize @bullet
@item
Select the article on the line under the cursor if none is selected.

@item
Scroll the text of the selected article (if there is one).

@item
Select the next unread article if at the end of the current article.
@end itemize

Thus, you can move through all the articles by repeatedly typing @key{SPC}.

@kindex DEL @r{(Gnus)}
@item @key{DEL}
In the group buffer, move point to the previous group containing
unread articles.

@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
In the summary buffer, scroll the text of the article backwards.

@kindex n @r{(Gnus)}
@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
@item n
Move point to the next unread group, or select the next unread article.

@kindex p @r{(Gnus)}
@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
@item p
Move point to the previous unread group, or select the previous
unread article.

@kindex C-n @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
@findex gnus-group-next-group
@kindex C-p @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
@findex gnus-group-prev-group
@kindex C-n @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
@findex gnus-summary-next-subject
@kindex C-p @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
@findex gnus-summary-prev-subject
@item C-n
@itemx C-p
Move point to the next or previous item, even if it is marked as read.
This does not select the article or group on that line.

@kindex s @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
@item s
In the summary buffer, do an incremental search of the current text in
the article buffer, just as if you switched to the article buffer and
typed @kbd{C-s}.

@kindex M-s @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
@item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
In the summary buffer, search forward for articles containing a match
for @var{regexp}.

@end table

@node Document View
@section Document Viewing
@cindex DVI file
@cindex PDF file
@cindex PS file
@cindex PostScript file
@cindex OpenDocument file
@cindex Microsoft Office file
@cindex DocView mode
@cindex mode, DocView
@cindex document viewer (DocView)
@findex doc-view-mode

DocView mode (@code{doc-view-mode}) is a viewer for DVI, PostScript
(PS), PDF, OpenDocument, and Microsoft Office documents.  It provides
features such as slicing, zooming, and searching inside documents.  It
works by converting the document to a set of images using the
@command{gs} (GhostScript) command and other external tools
@footnote{@code{gs} is a hard requirement.  For DVI files,
@code{dvipdf} or @code{dvipdfm} is needed.  For OpenDocument and
Microsoft Office documents, the @code{unoconv} tool is needed.}, and
displaying those images.

@findex doc-view-toggle-display
@findex doc-view-toggle-display
@cindex doc-view-minor-mode
  When you visit a document file with the exception of PostScript
files, Emacs automatically switches to DocView mode if possible
@footnote{The needed external tools for this document type have to be
available, emacs needs to run in a graphical frame, and PNG image
support has to be compiled into emacs.  If any of these requirements
is not fulfilled, DocView falls back to an appropriate mode.}.  When
you visit a PostScript file, Emacs switches to PS mode, a major mode
for editing PostScript files as text; however, it also enables DocView
minor mode, so you can type @kbd{C-c C-c} to view the document with
DocView.  (PDF and DVI files, unlike PostScript files, are not usually
human-editable.)  In either case, repeating @kbd{C-c C-c}
(@code{doc-view-toggle-display}) toggles between DocView and the file
text.

  You can explicitly toggle DocView mode with the command @code{M-x
doc-view-mode}, and DocView minor mode with the command @code{M-x
doc-view-minor-mode}.

  When DocView mode starts, it displays a welcome screen and begins
formatting the file, page by page.  It displays the first page once
that has been formatted.

@findex doc-view-enlarge
@findex doc-view-shrink
@vindex doc-view-resolution
  When in DocView mode, you can enlarge or shrink the document with
@kbd{+} (@code{doc-view-enlarge}) and @kbd{-}
(@code{doc-view-shrink}).  To specify the default size for DocView,
set or customize the variable @code{doc-view-resolution}.

  To kill the DocView buffer, type @kbd{k}
(@code{doc-view-kill-proc-and-buffer}).  To bury it, type @kbd{q}
(@code{quit-window}).

@menu
* Navigation::  Navigation inside DocView buffers.
* Searching::   Searching inside documents.
* Slicing::     Specifying which part of pages should be displayed.
* Conversion::  Influencing and triggering conversion.
@end menu

@node Navigation
@subsection Navigation

When in DocView mode, you can scroll the current page using the usual
Emacs movement keys: @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}, @kbd{C-f}, and
the arrow keys.

@vindex doc-view-continuous
  By default, the line-motion keys @kbd{C-p} and @kbd{C-n} stop
scrolling at the beginning and end of the current page, respectively.
However, if you change the variable @code{doc-view-continuous} to a
non-@code{nil} value, then @kbd{C-p} displays the previous page if you
are already at the beginning of the current page, and @kbd{C-n}
displays the next page if you are at the end of the current page.

@findex doc-view-next-page
@findex doc-view-previous-page
  You can also display the next page by typing @kbd{n}, @key{next} or
@kbd{C-x ]} (@code{doc-view-next-page}).  To display the previous
page, type @kbd{p}, @key{prior} or @kbd{C-x [}
(@code{doc-view-previous-page}).

@findex doc-view-scroll-up-or-next-page
@findex doc-view-scroll-down-or-previous-page
  The @key{SPC} (@code{doc-view-scroll-up-or-next-page}) key is a
convenient way to advance through the document.  It scrolls within the
current page or advances to the next.  @key{DEL} moves backwards in a
similar way (@code{doc-view-scroll-down-or-previous-page}).

@findex doc-view-first-page
@findex doc-view-last-page
@findex doc-view-goto-page
  To go to the first page, type @kbd{M-<}
(@code{doc-view-first-page}); to go to the last one, type @kbd{M->}
(@code{doc-view-last-page}).  To jump to a page by its number, type
@kbd{M-g M-g} or @kbd{M-g g} (@code{doc-view-goto-page}).

@node Searching
@subsection Searching

While in DocView mode, you can search the file's text for a regular
expression (@pxref{Regexps}).  The interface for searching is inspired
by @code{isearch} (@pxref{Incremental Search}).

@findex doc-view-search
@findex doc-view-search-backward
@findex doc-view-show-tooltip
  To begin a search, type @kbd{C-s} (@code{doc-view-search}) or
@kbd{C-r} (@code{doc-view-search-backward}).  This reads a regular
expression using a minibuffer, then echoes the number of matches found
within the document.  You can move forward and back among the matches
by typing @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-r}.  DocView mode has no way to show
the match inside the page image; instead, it displays a tooltip (at
the mouse position) listing all matching lines in the current page.
To force display of this tooltip, type @kbd{C-t}
(@code{doc-view-show-tooltip}).

  To start a new search, use the search command with a prefix
argument; i.e., @kbd{C-u C-s} for a forward search or @kbd{C-u C-r}
for a backward search.

@node Slicing
@subsection Slicing

Documents often have wide margins for printing.  They are annoying
when reading the document on the screen, because they use up screen
space and can cause inconvenient scrolling.

@findex doc-view-set-slice
@findex doc-view-set-slice-using-mouse
  With DocView you can hide these margins by selecting a @dfn{slice}
of pages to display.  A slice is a rectangle within the page area;
once you specify a slice in DocView, it applies to whichever page you
look at.

  To specify the slice numerically, type @kbd{s s}
(@code{doc-view-set-slice}); then enter the top left pixel position
and the slice's width and height.
@c ??? how does this work?

  A more convenient graphical way to specify the slice is with @kbd{s
m} (@code{doc-view-set-slice-using-mouse}), where you use the mouse to
select the slice.
@c ??? How does this work?

@findex doc-view-reset-slice
  To cancel the selected slice, type @kbd{s r}
(@code{doc-view-reset-slice}).  Then DocView shows the entire page
including its entire margins.

@node Conversion
@subsection Conversion

@vindex doc-view-cache-directory
@findex doc-view-clear-cache
For efficiency, DocView caches the images produced by @command{gs}.
The name of this directory is given by the variable
@code{doc-view-cache-directory}.  You can clear the cache directory by
typing @code{M-x doc-view-clear-cache}.

@findex doc-view-kill-proc
@findex doc-view-kill-proc-and-buffer
  To force a reconversion of the currently viewed document, type
@kbd{r} or @kbd{g} (@code{revert-buffer}).  To kill the converter
process associated with the current buffer, type @kbd{K}
(@code{doc-view-kill-proc}).  The command @kbd{k}
(@code{doc-view-kill-proc-and-buffer}) kills the converter process and
the DocView buffer.

  The zoom commands @kbd{+} (@code{doc-view-enlarge}) and @kbd{-}
(@code{doc-view-shrink}) need to reconvert the document at the new
size.  The current page is converted first.

@node Shell
@section Running Shell Commands from Emacs
@cindex subshell
@cindex shell commands

  Emacs has commands for passing single command lines to inferior shell
processes; it can also run a shell interactively with input and output
to an Emacs buffer named @samp{*shell*} or run a shell inside a terminal
emulator window.

@table @kbd
@item M-! @var{cmd} @key{RET}
Run the shell command line @var{cmd} and display the output
(@code{shell-command}).
@item M-| @var{cmd} @key{RET}
Run the shell command line @var{cmd} with region contents as input;
optionally replace the region with the output
(@code{shell-command-on-region}).
@item M-& @var{cmd} @key{RET}
Run the shell command line @var{cmd} asynchronously, and display the
output (@code{async-shell-command}).
@item M-x shell
Run a subshell with input and output through an Emacs buffer.
You can then give commands interactively.
@item M-x term
Run a subshell with input and output through an Emacs buffer.
You can then give commands interactively.
Full terminal emulation is available.
@end table

  @kbd{M-x eshell} invokes a shell implemented entirely in Emacs.  It
is documented in a separate manual.  @xref{Top,Eshell,Eshell, eshell,
Eshell: The Emacs Shell}.

@menu
* Single Shell::           How to run one shell command and return.
* Interactive Shell::      Permanent shell taking input via Emacs.
* Shell Mode::             Special Emacs commands used with permanent shell.
* Shell Prompts::          Two ways to recognize shell prompts.
* History: Shell History.  Repeating previous commands in a shell buffer.
* Directory Tracking::     Keeping track when the subshell changes directory.
* Options: Shell Options.  Options for customizing Shell mode.
* Terminal emulator::      An Emacs window as a terminal emulator.
* Term Mode::              Special Emacs commands used in Term mode.
* Paging in Term::         Paging in the terminal emulator.
* Remote Host::            Connecting to another computer.
* Serial Terminal::        Connecting to a serial port.
@end menu

@node Single Shell
@subsection Single Shell Commands

@kindex M-!
@findex shell-command
  @kbd{M-!} (@code{shell-command}) reads a line of text using the
minibuffer and executes it as a shell command in a subshell made just
for that command.  Standard input for the command comes from the null
device.  If the shell command produces any output, the output appears
either in the echo area (if it is short), or in an Emacs buffer named
@samp{*Shell Command Output*}, which is displayed in another window
but not selected (if the output is long).

  For instance, one way to decompress a file @file{foo.gz} from Emacs
is to type @kbd{M-! gunzip foo.gz @key{RET}}.  That shell command
normally creates the file @file{foo} and produces no terminal output.

  A numeric argument, as in @kbd{M-1 M-!}, says to insert terminal
output into the current buffer instead of a separate buffer.  It puts
point before the output, and sets the mark after the output.  For
instance, @kbd{M-1 M-! gunzip < foo.gz @key{RET}} would insert the
uncompressed equivalent of @file{foo.gz} into the current buffer.

  If the shell command line ends in @samp{&}, it runs asynchronously.
For a synchronous shell command, @code{shell-command} returns the
command's exit status (0 means success), when it is called from a Lisp
program.  You do not get any status information for an asynchronous
command, since it hasn't finished yet when @code{shell-command} returns.

  You can also type @kbd{M-&} (@code{async-shell-command}) to execute
a shell command asynchronously.  This behaves exactly like calling
@code{shell-command} with @samp{&}, except that you do not need to add
the @samp{&} to the shell command line.

@kindex M-|
@findex shell-command-on-region
  @kbd{M-|} (@code{shell-command-on-region}) is like @kbd{M-!} but
passes the contents of the region as the standard input to the shell
command, instead of no input.  With a numeric argument, meaning insert
the output in the current buffer, it deletes the old region and the
output replaces it as the contents of the region.  It returns the
command's exit status, like @kbd{M-!}.

  One use for @kbd{M-|} is to run @code{gpg} to see what keys are in
the buffer.  For instance, if the buffer contains a GPG key, type
@kbd{C-x h M-| gpg @key{RET}} to feed the entire buffer contents to
the @code{gpg} program.  That program will ignore everything except
the encoded keys, and will output a list of the keys the buffer
contains.

@vindex shell-file-name
  Both @kbd{M-!} and @kbd{M-|} use @code{shell-file-name} to specify
the shell to use.  This variable is initialized based on your
@env{SHELL} environment variable when Emacs is started.  If the file
name is relative, Emacs searches the directories in the list
@code{exec-path}; this list is initialized based on the environment
variable @env{PATH} when Emacs is started.  Your init file can
override either or both of these default initializations (@pxref{Init
File}).

  Both @kbd{M-!} and @kbd{M-|} wait for the shell command to complete,
unless you end the command with @samp{&} to make it asynchronous.  To
stop waiting, type @kbd{C-g} to quit; that terminates the shell
command with the signal @code{SIGINT}---the same signal that @kbd{C-c}
normally generates in the shell.  Emacs then waits until the command
actually terminates.  If the shell command doesn't stop (because it
ignores the @code{SIGINT} signal), type @kbd{C-g} again; this sends
the command a @code{SIGKILL} signal which is impossible to ignore.

  Asynchronous commands ending in @samp{&} feed their output into
the buffer @samp{*Async Shell Command*}.  Output arrives in that
buffer regardless of whether it is visible in a window.

  To specify a coding system for @kbd{M-!} or @kbd{M-|}, use the command
@kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately beforehand.  @xref{Communication Coding}.

@vindex shell-command-default-error-buffer
  Error output from these commands is normally intermixed with the
regular output.  But if the variable
@code{shell-command-default-error-buffer} has a string as value, and
it's the name of a buffer, @kbd{M-!} and @kbd{M-|} insert error output
before point in that buffer.

@node Interactive Shell
@subsection Interactive Inferior Shell

@findex shell
  To run a subshell interactively, use @kbd{M-x shell}.  This creates
(or reuses) a buffer named @samp{*shell*} and runs a subshell with
input coming from and output going to that buffer.  That is to say,
any ``terminal output'' from the subshell goes into the buffer,
advancing point, and any ``terminal input'' for the subshell comes
from text in the buffer.  To give input to the subshell, go to the end
of the buffer and type the input, terminated by @key{RET}.

  Emacs does not wait for the subshell to do anything.  You can switch
windows or buffers and edit them while the shell is waiting, or while it is
running a command.  Output from the subshell waits until Emacs has time to
process it; this happens whenever Emacs is waiting for keyboard input or
for time to elapse.

@cindex @code{comint-highlight-input} face
@cindex @code{comint-highlight-prompt} face
  Input lines, once you submit them, are displayed using the face
@code{comint-highlight-input}, and prompts are displayed using the
face @code{comint-highlight-prompt}.  This makes it easier to see
previous input lines in the buffer.  @xref{Faces}.

  To make multiple subshells, you can invoke @kbd{M-x shell} with a
prefix argument (e.g. @kbd{C-u M-x shell}), which will read a buffer
name and create (or reuse) a subshell in that buffer.  You can also
rename the @samp{*shell*} buffer using @kbd{M-x rename-uniquely}, then
create a new @samp{*shell*} buffer using plain @kbd{M-x shell}.
Subshells in different buffers run independently and in parallel.

@vindex explicit-shell-file-name
@cindex environment variables for subshells
@cindex @env{ESHELL} environment variable
@cindex @env{SHELL} environment variable
  The file name used to load the subshell is the value of the variable
@code{explicit-shell-file-name}, if that is non-@code{nil}.
Otherwise, the environment variable @env{ESHELL} is used, or the
environment variable @env{SHELL} if there is no @env{ESHELL}.  If the
file name specified is relative, the directories in the list
@code{exec-path} are searched; this list is initialized based on the
environment variable @env{PATH} when Emacs is started.  Your init file
can override either or both of these default initializations.
(@pxref{Init File}).

  Emacs sends the new shell the contents of the file
@file{~/.emacs_@var{shellname}} as input, if it exists, where
@var{shellname} is the name of the file that the shell was loaded
from.  For example, if you use bash, the file sent to it is
@file{~/.emacs_bash}.  If this file is not found, Emacs tries to fallback
on @file{~/.emacs.d/init_@var{shellname}.sh}.

  To specify a coding system for the shell, you can use the command
@kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately before @kbd{M-x shell}.  You can
also change the coding system for a running subshell by typing
@kbd{C-x @key{RET} p} in the shell buffer.  @xref{Communication
Coding}.

@cindex @env{INSIDE_EMACS} environment variable
  Emacs sets the environment variable @env{INSIDE_EMACS} in the
subshell to a comma-separated list including the Emacs version.
Programs can check this variable to determine whether they are running
inside an Emacs subshell.

@cindex @env{EMACS} environment variable
  Emacs also sets the @env{EMACS} environment variable (to @code{t}) if
it is not already defined.  @strong{Warning:} This environment
variable is deprecated.  Programs that check this variable should be
changed to check @env{INSIDE_EMACS} instead.

@node Shell Mode
@subsection Shell Mode
@cindex Shell mode
@cindex mode, Shell

  Shell buffers use Shell mode, which defines several special keys
attached to the @kbd{C-c} prefix.  They are chosen to resemble the usual
editing and job control characters present in shells that are not under
Emacs, except that you must type @kbd{C-c} first.  Here is a complete list
of the special key bindings of Shell mode:

@table @kbd
@item @key{RET}
@kindex RET @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-send-input
At end of buffer send line as input; otherwise, copy current line to
end of buffer and send it (@code{comint-send-input}).  Copying a line
in this way omits any prompt at the beginning of the line (text output
by programs preceding your input).  @xref{Shell Prompts}, for how
Shell mode recognizes prompts.

@item @key{TAB}
@kindex TAB @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-dynamic-complete
Complete the command name or file name before point in the shell buffer
(@code{comint-dynamic-complete}).  @key{TAB} also completes history
references (@pxref{History References}) and environment variable names.

@vindex shell-completion-fignore
@vindex comint-completion-fignore
The variable @code{shell-completion-fignore} specifies a list of file
name extensions to ignore in Shell mode completion.  The default
setting is @code{nil}, but some users prefer @code{("~" "#" "%")} to
ignore file names ending in @samp{~}, @samp{#} or @samp{%}.  Other
related Comint modes use the variable @code{comint-completion-fignore}
instead.

@item M-?
@kindex M-? @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-dynamic-list-filename@dots{}
Display temporarily a list of the possible completions of the file name
before point in the shell buffer
(@code{comint-dynamic-list-filename-completions}).

@item C-d
@kindex C-d @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof
Either delete a character or send @acronym{EOF}
(@code{comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof}).  Typed at the end of the shell
buffer, @kbd{C-d} sends @acronym{EOF} to the subshell.  Typed at any other
position in the buffer, @kbd{C-d} deletes a character as usual.

@item C-c C-a
@kindex C-c C-a @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-bol-or-process-mark
Move to the beginning of the line, but after the prompt if any
(@code{comint-bol-or-process-mark}).  If you repeat this command twice
in a row, the second time it moves back to the process mark, which is
the beginning of the input that you have not yet sent to the subshell.
(Normally that is the same place---the end of the prompt on this
line---but after @kbd{C-c @key{SPC}} the process mark may be in a
previous line.)

@item C-c @key{SPC}
Accumulate multiple lines of input, then send them together.  This
command inserts a newline before point, but does not send the preceding
text as input to the subshell---at least, not yet.  Both lines, the one
before this newline and the one after, will be sent together (along with
the newline that separates them), when you type @key{RET}.

@item C-c C-u
@kindex C-c C-u @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-kill-input
Kill all text pending at end of buffer to be sent as input
(@code{comint-kill-input}).  If point is not at end of buffer,
this only kills the part of this text that precedes point.

@item C-c C-w
@kindex C-c C-w @r{(Shell mode)}
Kill a word before point (@code{backward-kill-word}).

@item C-c C-c
@kindex C-c C-c @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-interrupt-subjob
Interrupt the shell or its current subjob if any
(@code{comint-interrupt-subjob}).  This command also kills
any shell input pending in the shell buffer and not yet sent.

@item C-c C-z
@kindex C-c C-z @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-stop-subjob
Stop the shell or its current subjob if any (@code{comint-stop-subjob}).
This command also kills any shell input pending in the shell buffer and
not yet sent.

@item C-c C-\
@findex comint-quit-subjob
@kindex C-c C-\ @r{(Shell mode)}
Send quit signal to the shell or its current subjob if any
(@code{comint-quit-subjob}).  This command also kills any shell input
pending in the shell buffer and not yet sent.

@item C-c C-o
@kindex C-c C-o @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-delete-output
Delete the last batch of output from a shell command
(@code{comint-delete-output}).  This is useful if a shell command spews
out lots of output that just gets in the way.

@item C-c C-s
@kindex C-c C-s @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-write-output
Write the last batch of output from a shell command to a file
(@code{comint-write-output}).  With a prefix argument, the file is
appended to instead.  Any prompt at the end of the output is not
written.

@item C-c C-r
@itemx C-M-l
@kindex C-c C-r @r{(Shell mode)}
@kindex C-M-l @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-show-output
Scroll to display the beginning of the last batch of output at the top
of the window; also move the cursor there (@code{comint-show-output}).

@item C-c C-e
@kindex C-c C-e @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-show-maximum-output
Scroll to put the end of the buffer at the bottom of the window
(@code{comint-show-maximum-output}).

@item C-c C-f
@kindex C-c C-f @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex shell-forward-command
@vindex shell-command-regexp
Move forward across one shell command, but not beyond the current line
(@code{shell-forward-command}).  The variable @code{shell-command-regexp}
specifies how to recognize the end of a command.

@item C-c C-b
@kindex C-c C-b @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex shell-backward-command
Move backward across one shell command, but not beyond the current line
(@code{shell-backward-command}).

@item M-x dirs
Ask the shell what its current directory is, so that Emacs can agree
with the shell.

@item M-x send-invisible @key{RET} @var{text} @key{RET}
@findex send-invisible
Send @var{text} as input to the shell, after reading it without
echoing.  This is useful when a shell command runs a program that asks
for a password.

Please note that Emacs will not echo passwords by default.  If you
really want them to be echoed, evaluate the following Lisp
expression:

@example
(remove-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
             'comint-watch-for-password-prompt)
@end example

@item M-x comint-continue-subjob
@findex comint-continue-subjob
Continue the shell process.  This is useful if you accidentally suspend
the shell process.@footnote{You should not suspend the shell process.
Suspending a subjob of the shell is a completely different matter---that
is normal practice, but you must use the shell to continue the subjob;
this command won't do it.}

@item M-x comint-strip-ctrl-m
@findex comint-strip-ctrl-m
Discard all control-M characters from the current group of shell output.
The most convenient way to use this command is to make it run
automatically when you get output from the subshell.  To do that,
evaluate this Lisp expression:

@example
(add-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
          'comint-strip-ctrl-m)
@end example

@item M-x comint-truncate-buffer
@findex comint-truncate-buffer
This command truncates the shell buffer to a certain maximum number of
lines, specified by the variable @code{comint-buffer-maximum-size}.
Here's how to do this automatically each time you get output from the
subshell:

@example
(add-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
          'comint-truncate-buffer)
@end example
@end table

@cindex Comint mode
@cindex mode, Comint
  Shell mode is a derivative of Comint mode, a general-purpose mode for
communicating with interactive subprocesses.  Most of the features of
Shell mode actually come from Comint mode, as you can see from the
command names listed above.  The special features of Shell mode include
the directory tracking feature, and a few user commands.

  Other Emacs features that use variants of Comint mode include GUD
(@pxref{Debuggers}) and @kbd{M-x run-lisp} (@pxref{External Lisp}).

@findex comint-run
  You can use @kbd{M-x comint-run} to execute any program of your choice
in a subprocess using unmodified Comint mode---without the
specializations of Shell mode.

@node Shell Prompts
@subsection Shell Prompts

@vindex shell-prompt-pattern
@vindex comint-prompt-regexp
@vindex comint-use-prompt-regexp
@cindex prompt, shell
  A prompt is text output by a program to show that it is ready to
accept new user input.  Normally, Comint mode (and thus Shell mode)
considers the prompt to be any text output by a program at the
beginning of an input line.  However, if the variable
@code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, then Comint mode
uses a regular expression to recognize prompts.  In Shell mode,
@code{shell-prompt-pattern} specifies the regular expression.

  The value of @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} also affects many
motion and paragraph commands.  If the value is non-@code{nil}, the
general Emacs motion commands behave as they normally do in buffers
without special text properties.  However, if the value is @code{nil},
the default, then Comint mode divides the buffer into two types of
``fields'' (ranges of consecutive characters having the same
@code{field} text property): input and output.  Prompts are part of
the output.  Most Emacs motion commands do not cross field boundaries,
unless they move over multiple lines.  For instance, when point is in
input on the same line as a prompt, @kbd{C-a} puts point at the
beginning of the input if @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is
@code{nil} and at the beginning of the line otherwise.

  In Shell mode, only shell prompts start new paragraphs.  Thus, a
paragraph consists of a prompt and the input and output that follow
it.  However, if @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is @code{nil}, the
default, most paragraph commands do not cross field boundaries.  This
means that prompts, ranges of input, and ranges of non-prompt output
behave mostly like separate paragraphs; with this setting, numeric
arguments to most paragraph commands yield essentially undefined
behavior.  For the purpose of finding paragraph boundaries, Shell mode
uses @code{shell-prompt-pattern}, regardless of
@code{comint-use-prompt-regexp}.

@node Shell History
@subsection Shell Command History

  Shell buffers support three ways of repeating earlier commands.  You
can use keys like those used for the minibuffer history; these work
much as they do in the minibuffer, inserting text from prior commands
while point remains always at the end of the buffer.  You can move
through the buffer to previous inputs in their original place, then
resubmit them or copy them to the end.  Or you can use a
@samp{!}-style history reference.

@menu
* Ring: Shell Ring.             Fetching commands from the history list.
* Copy: Shell History Copying.  Moving to a command and then copying it.
* History References::          Expanding @samp{!}-style history references.
@end menu

@node Shell Ring
@subsubsection Shell History Ring

@table @kbd
@findex comint-previous-input
@kindex M-p @r{(Shell mode)}
@item M-p
@itemx C-@key{UP}
Fetch the next earlier old shell command.

@kindex M-n @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-next-input
@item M-n
@itemx C-@key{DOWN}
Fetch the next later old shell command.

@kindex M-r @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-history-isearch-backward-regexp
@item M-r
Begin an incremental regexp search of old shell commands.

@item C-c C-x
@kindex C-c C-x @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-get-next-from-history
Fetch the next subsequent command from the history.

@item C-c .
@kindex C-c . @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-input-previous-argument
Fetch one argument from an old shell command.

@item C-c C-l
@kindex C-c C-l @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-dynamic-list-input-ring
Display the buffer's history of shell commands in another window
(@code{comint-dynamic-list-input-ring}).
@end table

  Shell buffers provide a history of previously entered shell commands.  To
reuse shell commands from the history, use the editing commands @kbd{M-p},
@kbd{M-n}, @kbd{M-r} and @kbd{M-s}.  These work just like the minibuffer
history commands except that they operate on the text at the end of the
shell buffer, where you would normally insert text to send to the shell.

  @kbd{M-p} fetches an earlier shell command to the end of the shell
buffer.  Successive use of @kbd{M-p} fetches successively earlier
shell commands, each replacing any text that was already present as
potential shell input.  @kbd{M-n} does likewise except that it finds
successively more recent shell commands from the buffer.
@kbd{C-@key{UP}} works like @kbd{M-p}, and @kbd{C-@key{DOWN}} like
@kbd{M-n}.

  The history search command @kbd{M-r} begins an incremental regular
expression search of previous shell commands.  After typing @kbd{M-r},
start typing the desired string or regular expression; the last
matching shell command will be displayed in the current line.
Incremental search commands have their usual effects---for instance,
@kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-r} search forward and backward for the next match
(@pxref{Incremental Search}).  When you find the desired input, type
@key{RET} to terminate the search.  This puts the input in the command
line.  Any partial input you were composing before navigating the
history list is restored when you go to the beginning or end of the
history ring.

  Often it is useful to reexecute several successive shell commands that
were previously executed in sequence.  To do this, first find and
reexecute the first command of the sequence.  Then type @kbd{C-c C-x};
that will fetch the following command---the one that follows the command
you just repeated.  Then type @key{RET} to reexecute this command.  You
can reexecute several successive commands by typing @kbd{C-c C-x
@key{RET}} over and over.

  The command @kbd{C-c .}@: (@code{comint-input-previous-argument})
copies an individual argument from a previous command, like @kbd{ESC
.} in Bash.  The simplest use copies the last argument from the
previous shell command.  With a prefix argument @var{n}, it copies the
@var{n}th argument instead.  Repeating @kbd{C-c .} copies from an
earlier shell command instead, always using the same value of @var{n}
(don't give a prefix argument when you repeat the @kbd{C-c .}
command).

  These commands get the text of previous shell commands from a special
history list, not from the shell buffer itself.  Thus, editing the shell
buffer, or even killing large parts of it, does not affect the history
that these commands access.

@vindex shell-input-ring-file-name
  Some shells store their command histories in files so that you can
refer to commands from previous shell sessions.  Emacs reads
the command history file for your chosen shell, to initialize its own
command history.  The file name is @file{~/.bash_history} for bash,
@file{~/.sh_history} for ksh, and @file{~/.history} for other shells.

@node Shell History Copying
@subsubsection Shell History Copying

@table @kbd
@kindex C-c C-p @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-previous-prompt
@item C-c C-p
Move point to the previous prompt (@code{comint-previous-prompt}).

@kindex C-c C-n @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-next-prompt
@item C-c C-n
Move point to the following prompt (@code{comint-next-prompt}).

@kindex C-c RET @r{(Shell mode)}
@findex comint-copy-old-input
@item C-c @key{RET}
Copy the input command at point, inserting the copy at the end of the
buffer (@code{comint-copy-old-input}).  This is useful if you move
point back to a previous command.  After you copy the command, you can
submit the copy as input with @key{RET}.  If you wish, you can edit
the copy before resubmitting it.  If you use this command on an output
line, it copies that line to the end of the buffer.

@item Mouse-2
If @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is @code{nil} (the default), copy
the old input command that you click on, inserting the copy at the end
of the buffer (@code{comint-insert-input}).  If
@code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, or if the click is
not over old input, just yank as usual.
@end table

  Moving to a previous input and then copying it with @kbd{C-c
@key{RET}} or @kbd{Mouse-2} produces the same results---the same
buffer contents---that you would get by using @kbd{M-p} enough times
to fetch that previous input from the history list.  However, @kbd{C-c
@key{RET}} copies the text from the buffer, which can be different
from what is in the history list if you edit the input text in the
buffer after it has been sent.

@node History References
@subsubsection Shell History References
@cindex history reference

  Various shells including csh and bash support @dfn{history
references} that begin with @samp{!} and @samp{^}.  Shell mode
recognizes these constructs, and can perform the history substitution
for you.

  If you insert a history reference and type @key{TAB}, this searches
the input history for a matching command, performs substitution if
necessary, and places the result in the buffer in place of the history
reference.  For example, you can fetch the most recent command
beginning with @samp{mv} with @kbd{! m v @key{TAB}}.  You can edit the
command if you wish, and then resubmit the command to the shell by
typing @key{RET}.

@vindex comint-input-autoexpand
@findex comint-magic-space
  Shell mode can optionally expand history references in the buffer
when you send them to the shell.  To request this, set the variable
@code{comint-input-autoexpand} to @code{input}.  You can make
@key{SPC} perform history expansion by binding @key{SPC} to the
command @code{comint-magic-space}.

  Shell mode recognizes history references when they follow a prompt.
@xref{Shell Prompts}, for how Shell mode recognizes prompts.

@node Directory Tracking
@subsection Directory Tracking
@cindex directory tracking

@vindex shell-pushd-regexp
@vindex shell-popd-regexp
@vindex shell-cd-regexp
  Shell mode keeps track of @samp{cd}, @samp{pushd} and @samp{popd}
commands given to the inferior shell, so it can keep the
@samp{*shell*} buffer's default directory the same as the shell's
working directory.  It recognizes these commands syntactically, by
examining lines of input that are sent.

  If you use aliases for these commands, you can tell Emacs to
recognize them also.  For example, if the value of the variable
@code{shell-pushd-regexp} matches the beginning of a shell command
line, that line is regarded as a @code{pushd} command.  Change this
variable when you add aliases for @samp{pushd}.  Likewise,
@code{shell-popd-regexp} and @code{shell-cd-regexp} are used to
recognize commands with the meaning of @samp{popd} and @samp{cd}.
These commands are recognized only at the beginning of a shell command
line.

@ignore  @c This seems to have been deleted long ago.
@vindex shell-set-directory-error-hook
  If Emacs gets an error while trying to handle what it believes is a
@samp{cd}, @samp{pushd} or @samp{popd} command, it runs the hook
@code{shell-set-directory-error-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
@end ignore

@findex dirs
  If Emacs gets confused about changes in the current directory of the
subshell, use the command @kbd{M-x dirs} to ask the shell what its
current directory is.  This command works for shells that support the
most common command syntax; it may not work for unusual shells.

@findex dirtrack-mode
  You can also use @kbd{M-x dirtrack-mode} to enable (or disable) an
alternative method of tracking changes in the current directory.  This
method relies on your shell prompt containing the full current working
directory at all times.

@node Shell Options
@subsection Shell Mode Options

@vindex comint-scroll-to-bottom-on-input
  If the variable @code{comint-scroll-to-bottom-on-input} is
non-@code{nil}, insertion and yank commands scroll the selected window
to the bottom before inserting.  The default is @code{nil}.

@vindex comint-scroll-show-maximum-output
  If @code{comint-scroll-show-maximum-output} is non-@code{nil}, then
arrival of output when point is at the end tries to scroll the last
line of text to the bottom line of the window, showing as much useful
text as possible.  (This mimics the scrolling behavior of most
terminals.)  The default is @code{t}.

@vindex comint-move-point-for-output
  By setting @code{comint-move-point-for-output}, you can opt for
having point jump to the end of the buffer whenever output arrives---no
matter where in the buffer point was before.  If the value is
@code{this}, point jumps in the selected window.  If the value is
@code{all}, point jumps in each window that shows the Comint buffer.  If
the value is @code{other}, point jumps in all nonselected windows that
show the current buffer.  The default value is @code{nil}, which means
point does not jump to the end.

@vindex comint-prompt-read-only
  If you set @code{comint-prompt-read-only}, the prompts in the Comint
buffer are read-only.

@vindex comint-input-ignoredups
  The variable @code{comint-input-ignoredups} controls whether successive
identical inputs are stored in the input history.  A non-@code{nil}
value means to omit an input that is the same as the previous input.
The default is @code{nil}, which means to store each input even if it is
equal to the previous input.

@vindex comint-completion-addsuffix
@vindex comint-completion-recexact
@vindex comint-completion-autolist
  Three variables customize file name completion.  The variable
@code{comint-completion-addsuffix} controls whether completion inserts a
space or a slash to indicate a fully completed file or directory name
(non-@code{nil} means do insert a space or slash).
@code{comint-completion-recexact}, if non-@code{nil}, directs @key{TAB}
to choose the shortest possible completion if the usual Emacs completion
algorithm cannot add even a single character.
@code{comint-completion-autolist}, if non-@code{nil}, says to list all
the possible completions whenever completion is not exact.

@vindex shell-completion-execonly
  Command completion normally considers only executable files.
If you set @code{shell-completion-execonly} to @code{nil},
it considers nonexecutable files as well.

@findex shell-pushd-tohome
@findex shell-pushd-dextract
@findex shell-pushd-dunique
  You can configure the behavior of @samp{pushd}.  Variables control
whether @samp{pushd} behaves like @samp{cd} if no argument is given
(@code{shell-pushd-tohome}), pop rather than rotate with a numeric
argument (@code{shell-pushd-dextract}), and only add directories to the
directory stack if they are not already on it
(@code{shell-pushd-dunique}).  The values you choose should match the
underlying shell, of course.

@node Terminal emulator
@subsection Emacs Terminal Emulator
@findex term

  To run a subshell in a terminal emulator, use @kbd{M-x term}.  This
creates (or reuses) a buffer named @samp{*terminal*}, and runs a
subshell with input coming from your keyboard, and output going to
that buffer.

  The terminal emulator uses Term mode, which has two input modes.  In
line mode, Term basically acts like Shell mode; see @ref{Shell Mode}.

  In char mode, each character is sent directly to the inferior
subshell, as ``terminal input.''  Any ``echoing'' of your input is the
responsibility of the subshell.  The sole exception is the terminal
escape character, which by default is @kbd{C-c} (@pxref{Term Mode}).
Any ``terminal output'' from the subshell goes into the buffer,
advancing point.

  Some programs (such as Emacs itself) need to control the appearance
on the terminal screen in detail.  They do this by sending special
control codes.  The exact control codes needed vary from terminal to
terminal, but nowadays most terminals and terminal emulators
(including @code{xterm}) understand the ANSI-standard (VT100-style)
escape sequences.  Term mode recognizes these escape sequences, and
handles each one appropriately, changing the buffer so that the
appearance of the window matches what it would be on a real terminal.
You can actually run Emacs inside an Emacs Term window.

  You can use Term mode to communicate with a device connected to a
serial port of your computer.  @xref{Serial Terminal}.

  The file name used to load the subshell is determined the same way
as for Shell mode.  To make multiple terminal emulators, rename the
buffer @samp{*terminal*} to something different using @kbd{M-x
rename-uniquely}, just as with Shell mode.

  Unlike Shell mode, Term mode does not track the current directory by
examining your input.  But some shells can tell Term what the current
directory is.  This is done automatically by @code{bash} version 1.15
and later.

@node Term Mode
@subsection Term Mode
@cindex Term mode
@cindex mode, Term

  The terminal emulator uses Term mode, which has two input modes.  In
line mode, Term basically acts like Shell mode; see @ref{Shell Mode}.
In char mode, each character is sent directly to the inferior
subshell, except for the Term escape character, normally @kbd{C-c}.

  To switch between line and char mode, use these commands:

@table @kbd
@kindex C-c C-j @r{(Term mode)}
@findex term-char-mode
@item C-c C-j
Switch to line mode.  Do nothing if already in line mode.

@kindex C-c C-k @r{(Term mode)}
@findex term-line-mode
@item C-c C-k
Switch to char mode.  Do nothing if already in char mode.
@end table

  The following commands are only available in char mode:

@table @kbd
@item C-c C-c
Send a literal @key{C-c} to the sub-shell.

@item C-c @var{char}
This is equivalent to @kbd{C-x @var{char}} in normal Emacs.  For
example, @kbd{C-c o} invokes the global binding of @kbd{C-x o}, which
is normally @samp{other-window}.
@end table

@node Paging in Term
@subsection Page-At-A-Time Output
@cindex page-at-a-time

  Term mode has a page-at-a-time feature.  When enabled it makes
output pause at the end of each screenful.

@table @kbd
@kindex C-c C-q @r{(Term mode)}
@findex term-pager-toggle
@item C-c C-q
Toggle the page-at-a-time feature.  This command works in both line
and char modes.  When page-at-a-time is enabled, the mode-line
displays the word @samp{page}.
@end table

  With page-at-a-time enabled, whenever Term receives more than a
screenful of output since your last input, it pauses, displaying
@samp{**MORE**} in the mode-line.  Type @key{SPC} to display the next
screenful of output.  Type @kbd{?} to see your other options.  The
interface is similar to the @code{more} program.

@node Remote Host
@subsection Remote Host Shell
@cindex remote host
@cindex connecting to remote host
@cindex Telnet
@cindex Rlogin

  You can login to a remote computer, using whatever commands you
would from a regular terminal (e.g.@: using the @code{telnet} or
@code{rlogin} commands), from a Term window.

  A program that asks you for a password will normally suppress
echoing of the password, so the password will not show up in the
buffer.  This will happen just as if you were using a real terminal,
if the buffer is in char mode.  If it is in line mode, the password is
temporarily visible, but will be erased when you hit return.  (This
happens automatically; there is no special password processing.)

  When you log in to a different machine, you need to specify the type
of terminal you're using, by setting the @env{TERM} environment
variable in the environment for the remote login command.  (If you use
bash, you do that by writing the variable assignment before the remote
login command, without separating comma.)  Terminal types @samp{ansi}
or @samp{vt100} will work on most systems.

@c   If you are talking to a Bourne-compatible
@c shell, and your system understands the @env{TERMCAP} variable,
@c you can use the command @kbd{M-x shell-send-termcap}, which
@c sends a string specifying the terminal type and size.
@c (This command is also useful after the window has changed size.)

@c You can of course run @samp{gdb} on that remote computer.  One useful
@c trick:  If you invoke gdb with the @code{--fullname} option,
@c it will send special commands to Emacs that will cause Emacs to
@c pop up the source files you're debugging.  This will work
@c whether or not gdb is running on a different computer than Emacs,
@c as long as Emacs can access the source files specified by gdb.

@ignore
  You cannot log in to a remote computer using the Shell mode.
@c (This will change when Shell is re-written to use Term.)
Instead, Emacs provides two commands for logging in to another computer
and communicating with it through an Emacs buffer using Comint mode:

@table @kbd
@item M-x telnet @key{RET} @var{hostname} @key{RET}
Set up a Telnet connection to the computer named @var{hostname}.
@item M-x rlogin @key{RET} @var{hostname} @key{RET}
Set up an Rlogin connection to the computer named @var{hostname}.
@end table

@findex telnet
  Use @kbd{M-x telnet} to set up a Telnet connection to another
computer.  (Telnet is the standard Internet protocol for remote login.)
It reads the host name of the other computer as an argument with the
minibuffer.  Once the connection is established, talking to the other
computer works like talking to a subshell: you can edit input with the
usual Emacs commands, and send it a line at a time by typing @key{RET}.
The output is inserted in the Telnet buffer interspersed with the input.

@findex rlogin
@vindex rlogin-explicit-args
  Use @kbd{M-x rlogin} to set up an Rlogin connection.  Rlogin is
another remote login communication protocol, essentially much like the
Telnet protocol but incompatible with it, and supported only by certain
systems.  Rlogin's advantages are that you can arrange not to have to
give your user name and password when communicating between two machines
you frequently use, and that you can make an 8-bit-clean connection.
(To do that in Emacs, set @code{rlogin-explicit-args} to @code{("-8")}
before you run Rlogin.)

  @kbd{M-x rlogin} sets up the default file directory of the Emacs
buffer to access the remote host via FTP (@pxref{File Names}), and it
tracks the shell commands that change the current directory, just like
Shell mode.

@findex rlogin-directory-tracking-mode
  There are two ways of doing directory tracking in an Rlogin
buffer---either with remote directory names
@file{/@var{host}:@var{dir}/} or with local names (that works if the
``remote'' machine shares file systems with your machine of origin).
You can use the command @code{rlogin-directory-tracking-mode} to switch
modes.  No argument means use remote directory names, a positive
argument means use local names, and a negative argument means turn
off directory tracking.

@end ignore

@node Serial Terminal
@subsection Serial Terminal
@cindex terminal, serial
@findex serial-term

  If you have a device connected to a serial port of your computer,
you can use Emacs to communicate with it.  @kbd{M-x serial-term} will
ask you for a serial port name and speed and will then open a new
window in @ref{Term Mode}.

  The speed of the serial port is measured in bits per second.  The
most common speed is 9600 bits per second.  You can change the speed
interactively by clicking on the mode line.

  A serial port can be configured even more by clicking on ``8N1'' in
the mode line.  By default, a serial port is configured as ``8N1'',
which means that each byte consists of 8 data bits, No parity check
bit, and 1 stopbit.

  When you have opened the serial port connection, you will see output
from the device in the window.  Also, what you type in the window is
sent to the device.

  If the speed or the configuration is wrong, you cannot communicate
with your device and will probably only see garbage output in the
window.

@node Emacs Server, Printing, Shell, Top
@section Using Emacs as a Server
@pindex emacsclient
@cindex Emacs as a server
@cindex server, using Emacs as
@cindex @env{EDITOR} environment variable

  Various programs such as @command{mail} can invoke your choice of
editor to edit a particular piece of text, such as a message that you
are sending.  By convention, most of these programs use the
environment variable @env{EDITOR} to specify which editor to run.  If
you set @env{EDITOR} to @samp{emacs}, they invoke Emacs---but in an
inconvenient way, by starting a new Emacs process.  This is
inconvenient because the new Emacs process doesn't share buffers, a
command history, or other kinds of information with any existing Emacs
process.

  You can solve this problem by setting up Emacs as an @dfn{edit
server}, so that it ``listens'' for external edit requests and acts
accordingly.  There are two ways to start an Emacs server:

@findex server-start
  The first is to run the command @code{server-start} in an existing
Emacs process: either type @kbd{M-x server-start}, or put the
expression @code{(server-start)} in your initialization file
(@pxref{Init File}).  The existing Emacs process is the server; when
you exit Emacs, the server dies with the Emacs process.

@cindex daemon, Emacs
  The second way to start an Emacs server is to run Emacs as a
@dfn{daemon}, using the @samp{--daemon} command-line option.
@xref{Initial Options}.  When Emacs is started this way, it calls
@code{server-start} after initialization, and returns control to the
calling terminal instead of opening an initial frame; it then waits in
the background, listening for edit requests.

@cindex @env{TEXEDIT} environment variable
  Once an Emacs server is set up, you can use a shell command called
@command{emacsclient} to connect to the existing Emacs process and
tell it to visit a file.  If you set the @env{EDITOR} environment
variable to @samp{emacsclient}, programs such as @command{mail} will
use the existing Emacs process for editing.@footnote{Some programs use
a different environment variable; for example, to make @TeX{} use
@samp{emacsclient}, set the @env{TEXEDIT} environment variable to
@samp{emacsclient +%d %s}.}

@vindex server-name
  You can run multiple Emacs servers on the same machine by giving
each one a unique ``server name'', using the variable
@code{server-name}.  For example, @kbd{M-x set-variable @key{RET}
server-name @key{RET} foo @key{RET}} sets the server name to
@samp{foo}.  The @code{emacsclient} program can specify a server by
name, using the @samp{-s} option (@pxref{emacsclient Options}).

@findex server-eval-at
  If you have defined a server by a unique server name, you can
connect to this server from other Emacs instances and evaluate forms
on it by using the @code{server-eval-at} function.

@code{(server-eval-at "foo" '(+ 1 2))} gives the result @code{3}, if
there's a server with that name that is listening.  If not, an error
will be signaled.

@menu
* Invoking emacsclient:: Connecting to the Emacs server.
* emacsclient Options::  Emacs client startup options.
@end menu

@node Invoking emacsclient
@subsection Invoking @code{emacsclient}
@cindex @code{emacsclient} invocation

  The simplest way to use the @command{emacsclient} program is to run
the shell command @samp{emacsclient @var{file}}, where @var{file} is a
file name.  This connects to an Emacs server, and tells that Emacs
process to visit @var{file} in one of its existing frames---either a
graphical frame, or one in a text-only terminal (@pxref{Frames}).  You
can then select that frame to begin editing.

  If there is no Emacs server, the @command{emacsclient} program halts
with an error message.  If the Emacs process has no existing
frame---which can happen if it was started as a daemon (@pxref{Emacs
Server})---then Emacs opens a frame on the terminal in which you
called @command{emacsclient}.

  You can also force @command{emacsclient} to open a new frame on a
graphical display, or on a text-only terminal, using the @samp{-c} and
@samp{-t} options.  @xref{emacsclient Options}.

  If you are running on a single text-only terminal, you can switch
between @command{emacsclient}'s shell and the Emacs server using one
of two methods: (i) run the Emacs server and @command{emacsclient} on
different virtual terminals, and switch to the Emacs server's virtual
terminal after calling @command{emacsclient}; or (ii) call
@command{emacsclient} from within the Emacs server itself, using Shell
mode (@pxref{Interactive Shell}) or Term mode (@pxref{Term Mode});
@code{emacsclient} blocks only the subshell under Emacs, and you can
still use Emacs to edit the file.

@kindex C-x #
@findex server-edit
  When you finish editing @var{file} in the Emacs server, type
@kbd{C-x #} (@code{server-edit}) in its buffer.  This saves the file
and sends a message back to the @command{emacsclient} program, telling
it to exit.  Programs that use @env{EDITOR} usually wait for the
``editor''---in this case @command{emacsclient}---to exit before doing
something else.

  You can also call @command{emacsclient} with multiple file name
arguments: @samp{emacsclient @var{file1} @var{file2} ...} tells the
Emacs server to visit @var{file1}, @var{file2}, and so forth.  Emacs
selects the buffer visiting @var{file1}, and buries the other buffers
at the bottom of the buffer list (@pxref{Buffers}).  The
@command{emacsclient} program exits once all the specified files are
finished (i.e., once you have typed @kbd{C-x #} in each server
buffer).

@vindex server-kill-new-buffers
@vindex server-temp-file-regexp
  Finishing with a server buffer also kills the buffer, unless it
already existed in the Emacs session before the server was asked to
create it.  However, if you set @code{server-kill-new-buffers} to
@code{nil}, then a different criterion is used: finishing with a
server buffer kills it if the file name matches the regular expression
@code{server-temp-file-regexp}.  This is set up to distinguish certain
``temporary'' files.

  Each @kbd{C-x #} checks for other pending external requests to edit
various files, and selects the next such file.  You can switch to a
server buffer manually if you wish; you don't have to arrive at it
with @kbd{C-x #}.  But @kbd{C-x #} is the way to tell
@command{emacsclient} that you are finished.

@vindex server-window
  If you set the value of the variable @code{server-window} to a
window or a frame, @kbd{C-x #} always displays the next server buffer
in that window or in that frame.

@node emacsclient Options
@subsection @code{emacsclient} Options
@cindex @code{emacsclient} options

  You can pass some optional arguments to the @command{emacsclient}
program, such as:

@example
emacsclient -c +12 @var{file1} +4:3 @var{file2}
@end example

@noindent
The @samp{+@var{line}} or @samp{+@var{line}:@var{column}} arguments
specify line numbers, or line and column numbers, for the next file
argument.  These behave like the command line arguments for Emacs
itself.  @xref{Action Arguments}.

  The other optional arguments recognized by @command{emacsclient} are
listed below:

@table @samp
@item -a @var{command}
@itemx --alternate-editor=@var{command}
Specify a command to run if @code{emacsclient} fails to contact Emacs.
This is useful when running @code{emacsclient} in a script.

As a special exception, if @var{command} is the empty string, then
@code{emacsclient} starts Emacs in daemon mode (as @command{emacs
--daemon}) and then tries connecting again.

@cindex @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} environment variable
The environment variable @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} has the same effect as
the @samp{-a} option.  If both are present, the latter takes
precedence.

@item -c
Create a new graphical frame, instead of using an existing Emacs
frame.  Emacs 23 can create a graphical frame even if it was started
in a text-only terminal, provided it is able to connect to a graphical
display.  If no graphical display is available, Emacs creates a new
text-only terminal frame (@pxref{Frames}).  If you omit a filename
argument while supplying the @samp{-c} option, the new frame displays
the @samp{*scratch*} buffer (@pxref{Buffers}).

@item -F
@itemx --frame-parameters=@var{alist}
Set the parameters for a newly-created graphical frame
(@pxref{Frame Parameters}).

@item -d @var{display}
@itemx --display=@var{display}
Tell Emacs to open the given files on the X display @var{display}
(assuming there is more than one X display available).

@item -e
@itemx --eval
Tell Emacs to evaluate some Emacs Lisp code, instead of visiting some
files.  When this option is given, the arguments to
@command{emacsclient} are interpreted as a list of expressions to
evaluate, @emph{not} as a list of files to visit.

@item -f @var{server-file}
@itemx --server-file=@var{server-file}
@cindex @env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable
@cindex server file
@vindex server-use-tcp
@vindex server-host
Specify a @dfn{server file} for connecting to an Emacs server via TCP.

An Emacs server usually uses an operating system feature called a
``local socket'' to listen for connections.  Some operating systems,
such as Microsoft Windows, do not support local sockets; in that case,
Emacs uses TCP instead.  When you start the Emacs server, Emacs
creates a server file containing some TCP information that
@command{emacsclient} needs for making the connection.  By default,
the server file is in @file{~/.emacs.d/server/}.  On Microsoft
Windows, if @command{emacsclient} does not find the server file there,
it looks in the @file{.emacs.d/server/} subdirectory of the directory
pointed to by the @env{APPDATA} environment variable.  You can tell
@command{emacsclient} to use a specific server file with the @samp{-f}
or @samp{--server-file} option, or by setting the
@env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable.

Even if local sockets are available, you can tell Emacs to use TCP by
setting the variable @code{server-use-tcp} to @code{t}.  One advantage
of TCP is that the server can accept connections from remote machines.
For this to work, you must (i) set the variable @code{server-host} to
the hostname or IP address of the machine on which the Emacs server
runs, and (ii) provide @command{emacsclient} with the server file.
(One convenient way to do the latter is to put the server file on a
networked file system such as NFS.)

@vindex server-port
  When the Emacs server is using TCP, the variable @code{server-port}
determines the port number to listen on; the default value,
@code{nil}, means to choose a random port when the server starts.

@item -n
@itemx --no-wait
Let @command{emacsclient} exit immediately, instead of waiting until
all server buffers are finished.  You can take as long as you like to
edit the server buffers within Emacs, and they are @emph{not} killed
when you type @kbd{C-x #} in them.

@item --parent-id @var{ID}
Open an @command{emacsclient} frame as a client frame in the parent X
window with id @var{ID}, via the XEmbed protocol.  Currently, this
option is mainly useful for developers.

@item -q
@itemx --quiet
Do not let @command{emacsclient} display messages about waiting for
Emacs or connecting to remote server sockets.

@item -s @var{server-name}
@itemx --socket-name=@var{server-name}
Connect to the Emacs server named @var{server-name}.  The server name
is given by the variable @code{server-name} on the Emacs server.  If
this option is omitted, @command{emacsclient} connects to the first
server it finds.  (This option is not supported on MS-Windows.)

@item -t
@itemx --tty
@itemx -nw
Create a new Emacs frame on the current text-only terminal, instead of
using an existing Emacs frame.  Emacs 23 can open a text-only terminal
even if it was started in another text-only terminal, or on a
graphical display.  If you omit a filename argument while supplying
this option, the new frame displays the @samp{*scratch*} buffer.
@xref{Buffers}.
@end table

  If you type @kbd{C-x C-c} (@code{save-buffers-kill-terminal}) in an
Emacs frame created with @command{emacsclient}, via the @samp{-c} or
@samp{-t} options, Emacs deletes the frame instead of killing the
Emacs process itself.  On a text-only terminal frame created with the
@samp{-t} option, this returns control to the terminal.  Emacs also
marks all the server buffers for the client as finished, as though you
had typed @kbd{C-x #} in all of them.

  When Emacs is started as a daemon, all frames are considered client
frames, so @kbd{C-x C-c} will never kill Emacs.  To kill the Emacs
process, type @kbd{M-x kill-emacs}.

@node Printing, Sorting, Emacs Server, Top
@section Printing Hard Copies
@cindex hardcopy
@cindex printing

  Emacs provides commands for printing hard copies of either an entire
buffer or just part of one, with or without page headers.  You can
invoke the printing commands directly, as detailed in the following
section, or using the @samp{File} menu on the menu bar.

@findex htmlfontify-buffer
  Aside from the commands described in this section, you can also
``print'' an Emacs buffer to HTML with @kbd{M-x htmlfontify-buffer}.
This command converts the current buffer to a HTML file, replacing
Emacs faces with CSS-based markup.  In addition, see the hardcopy
commands of Dired (@pxref{Misc File Ops}) and the diary
(@pxref{Displaying the Diary}).

@table @kbd
@item M-x print-buffer
Print hardcopy of current buffer with page headings containing the file
name and page number.
@item M-x lpr-buffer
Print hardcopy of current buffer without page headings.
@item M-x print-region
Like @code{print-buffer} but print only the current region.
@item M-x lpr-region
Like @code{lpr-buffer} but print only the current region.
@end table

@findex print-buffer
@findex print-region
@findex lpr-buffer
@findex lpr-region
@vindex lpr-switches
  The hardcopy commands (aside from the PostScript commands) pass extra
switches to the @code{lpr} program based on the value of the variable
@code{lpr-switches}.  Its value should be a list of strings, each string
an option starting with @samp{-}.  For example, to specify a line width
of 80 columns for all the printing you do in Emacs, set
@code{lpr-switches} like this:

@example
(setq lpr-switches '("-w80"))
@end example

@vindex printer-name
  You can specify the printer to use by setting the variable
@code{printer-name}.

@vindex lpr-headers-switches
@vindex lpr-commands
@vindex lpr-add-switches
  The variable @code{lpr-command} specifies the name of the printer
program to run; the default value depends on your operating system type.
On most systems, the default is @code{"lpr"}.  The variable
@code{lpr-headers-switches} similarly specifies the extra switches to
use to make page headers.  The variable @code{lpr-add-switches} controls
whether to supply @samp{-T} and @samp{-J} options (suitable for
@code{lpr}) to the printer program: @code{nil} means don't add them.
@code{lpr-add-switches} should be @code{nil} if your printer program is
not compatible with @code{lpr}.

@menu
* PostScript::           Printing buffers or regions as PostScript.
* PostScript Variables:: Customizing the PostScript printing commands.
* Printing Package::     An optional advanced printing interface.
@end menu

@node PostScript, PostScript Variables,, Printing
@subsection PostScript Hardcopy

  These commands convert buffer contents to PostScript,
either printing it or leaving it in another Emacs buffer.

@table @kbd
@item M-x ps-print-buffer
Print hardcopy of the current buffer in PostScript form.
@item M-x ps-print-region
Print hardcopy of the current region in PostScript form.
@item M-x ps-print-buffer-with-faces
Print hardcopy of the current buffer in PostScript form, showing the
faces used in the text by means of PostScript features.
@item M-x ps-print-region-with-faces
Print hardcopy of the current region in PostScript form, showing the
faces used in the text.
@item M-x ps-spool-buffer
Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current buffer text.
@item M-x ps-spool-region
Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current region.
@item M-x ps-spool-buffer-with-faces
Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current buffer, showing the faces used.
@item M-x ps-spool-region-with-faces
Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current region, showing the faces used.
@item M-x ps-despool
Send the spooled PostScript to the printer.
@item M-x handwrite
Generate/print PostScript for the current buffer as if handwritten.
@end table

@findex ps-print-region
@findex ps-print-buffer
@findex ps-print-region-with-faces
@findex ps-print-buffer-with-faces
  The PostScript commands, @code{ps-print-buffer} and
@code{ps-print-region}, print buffer contents in PostScript form.  One
command prints the entire buffer; the other, just the region.  The
corresponding @samp{-with-faces} commands,
@code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} and @code{ps-print-region-with-faces},
use PostScript features to show the faces (fonts and colors) in the text
properties of the text being printed.  The @samp{-with-faces} commands only
work if they are used in a window system, so it has a way to determine color
values.

  Interactively, when you use a prefix argument (@kbd{C-u}), the command
prompts the user for a file name, and saves the PostScript image in that file
instead of sending it to the printer.

  Noninteractively, the argument @var{filename} is treated as follows: if it is
@code{nil}, send the image to the printer.  If @var{filename} is a string, save
the PostScript image in a file with that name.

  If you are using a color display, you can print a buffer of program
code with color highlighting by turning on Font-Lock mode in that
buffer, and using @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces}.

@findex ps-spool-region
@findex ps-spool-buffer
@findex ps-spool-region-with-faces
@findex ps-spool-buffer-with-faces
  The commands whose names have @samp{spool} instead of @samp{print},
generate the PostScript output in an Emacs buffer instead of sending
it to the printer.

  Use the command @code{ps-despool} to send the spooled images to the printer.

@findex ps-despool
  This command sends the PostScript generated by  @samp{-spool-} commands (see
commands above) to the printer.

  Interactively, when you use a prefix argument (@kbd{C-u}), the command
prompts the user for a file name, and saves the spooled PostScript image in
that file instead of sending it to the printer.

  Noninteractively, the argument @var{filename} is treated as follows: if it is
@code{nil}, send the image to the printer.  If @var{filename} is a string, save
the PostScript image in a file with that name.

@findex handwrite
@cindex handwriting
@kbd{M-x handwrite} is more frivolous.  It generates a PostScript
rendition of the current buffer as a cursive handwritten document.  It
can be customized in group @code{handwrite}.  This function only
supports ISO 8859-1 characters.

@ifnottex
  The following section describes variables for customizing these commands.
@end ifnottex

@node PostScript Variables, Printing Package, PostScript, Printing
@subsection Variables for PostScript Hardcopy

@vindex ps-lpr-command
@vindex ps-lpr-switches
@vindex ps-printer-name
  All the PostScript hardcopy commands use the variables
@code{ps-lpr-command} and @code{ps-lpr-switches} to specify how to print
the output.  @code{ps-lpr-command} specifies the command name to run,
@code{ps-lpr-switches} specifies command line options to use, and
@code{ps-printer-name} specifies the printer.  If you don't set the
first two variables yourself, they take their initial values from
@code{lpr-command} and @code{lpr-switches}.  If @code{ps-printer-name}
is @code{nil}, @code{printer-name} is used.

@vindex ps-print-header
  The variable @code{ps-print-header} controls whether these commands
add header lines to each page---set it to @code{nil} to turn headers
off.

@cindex color emulation on black-and-white printers
@vindex ps-print-color-p
  If your printer doesn't support colors, you should turn off color
processing by setting @code{ps-print-color-p} to @code{nil}.  By
default, if the display supports colors, Emacs produces hardcopy output
with color information; on black-and-white printers, colors are emulated
with shades of gray.  This might produce illegible output, even if your
screen colors only use shades of gray.

  Alternatively, you can set @code{ps-print-color-p} to @code{black-white} to
print colors on black/white printers.

@vindex ps-use-face-background
  By default, PostScript printing ignores the background colors of the
faces, unless the variable @code{ps-use-face-background} is
non-@code{nil}.  This is to avoid unwanted interference with the zebra
stripes and background image/text.

@vindex ps-paper-type
@vindex ps-page-dimensions-database
  The variable @code{ps-paper-type} specifies which size of paper to
format for; legitimate values include @code{a4}, @code{a3},
@code{a4small}, @code{b4}, @code{b5}, @code{executive}, @code{ledger},
@code{legal}, @code{letter}, @code{letter-small}, @code{statement},
@code{tabloid}.  The default is @code{letter}.  You can define
additional paper sizes by changing the variable
@code{ps-page-dimensions-database}.

@vindex ps-landscape-mode
  The variable @code{ps-landscape-mode} specifies the orientation of
printing on the page.  The default is @code{nil}, which stands for
``portrait'' mode.  Any non-@code{nil} value specifies ``landscape''
mode.

@vindex ps-number-of-columns
  The variable @code{ps-number-of-columns} specifies the number of
columns; it takes effect in both landscape and portrait mode.  The
default is 1.

@vindex ps-font-family
@vindex ps-font-size
@vindex ps-font-info-database
  The variable @code{ps-font-family} specifies which font family to use
for printing ordinary text.  Legitimate values include @code{Courier},
@code{Helvetica}, @code{NewCenturySchlbk}, @code{Palatino} and
@code{Times}.  The variable @code{ps-font-size} specifies the size of
the font for ordinary text.  It defaults to 8.5 points.

@vindex ps-multibyte-buffer
@cindex Intlfonts for PostScript printing
@cindex fonts for PostScript printing
  Emacs supports more scripts and characters than a typical PostScript
printer.  Thus, some of the characters in your buffer might not be
printable using the fonts built into your printer.  You can augment
the fonts supplied with the printer with those from the GNU Intlfonts
package, or you can instruct Emacs to use Intlfonts exclusively.  The
variable @code{ps-multibyte-buffer} controls this: the default value,
@code{nil}, is appropriate for printing @acronym{ASCII} and Latin-1
characters; a value of @code{non-latin-printer} is for printers which
have the fonts for @acronym{ASCII}, Latin-1, Japanese, and Korean
characters built into them.  A value of @code{bdf-font} arranges for
the BDF fonts from the Intlfonts package to be used for @emph{all}
characters.  Finally, a value of @code{bdf-font-except-latin}
instructs the printer to use built-in fonts for @acronym{ASCII} and Latin-1
characters, and Intlfonts BDF fonts for the rest.

@vindex bdf-directory-list
  To be able to use the BDF fonts, Emacs needs to know where to find
them.  The variable @code{bdf-directory-list} holds the list of
directories where Emacs should look for the fonts; the default value
includes a single directory @file{/usr/local/share/emacs/fonts/bdf}.

  Many other customization variables for these commands are defined and
described in the Lisp files @file{ps-print.el} and @file{ps-mule.el}.

@node Printing Package,, PostScript Variables, Printing
@subsection Printing Package
@cindex Printing package

  The basic Emacs facilities for printing hardcopy can be extended
using the Printing package.  This provides an easy-to-use interface
for choosing what to print, previewing PostScript files before
printing, and setting various printing options such as print headers,
landscape or portrait modes, duplex modes, and so forth.  On GNU/Linux
or Unix systems, the Printing package relies on the @file{gs} and
@file{gv} utilities, which are distributed as part of the GhostScript
program.  On MS-Windows, the @file{gstools} port of Ghostscript can be
used.

@findex pr-interface
  To use the Printing package, add @code{(require 'printing)} to your
init file (@pxref{Init File}), followed by @code{(pr-update-menus)}.
This function replaces the usual printing commands in the menu bar
with a @samp{Printing} submenu that contains various printing options.
You can also type @kbd{M-x pr-interface RET}; this creates a
@samp{*Printing Interface*} buffer, similar to a customization buffer,
where you can set the printing options.  After selecting what and how
to print, you start the print job using the @samp{Print} button (click
@kbd{mouse-2} on it, or move point over it and type @kbd{RET}).  For
further information on the various options, use the @samp{Interface
Help} button.

@node Sorting
@section Sorting Text
@cindex sorting

  Emacs provides several commands for sorting text in the buffer.  All
operate on the contents of the region.
They divide the text of the region into many @dfn{sort records},
identify a @dfn{sort key} for each record, and then reorder the records
into the order determined by the sort keys.  The records are ordered so
that their keys are in alphabetical order, or, for numeric sorting, in
numeric order.  In alphabetic sorting, all upper-case letters `A' through
`Z' come before lower-case `a', in accord with the @acronym{ASCII} character
sequence.

  The various sort commands differ in how they divide the text into sort
records and in which part of each record is used as the sort key.  Most of
the commands make each line a separate sort record, but some commands use
paragraphs or pages as sort records.  Most of the sort commands use each
entire sort record as its own sort key, but some use only a portion of the
record as the sort key.

@findex sort-lines
@findex sort-paragraphs
@findex sort-pages
@findex sort-fields
@findex sort-numeric-fields
@vindex sort-numeric-base
@table @kbd
@item M-x sort-lines
Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the entire
text of a line.  A numeric argument means sort into descending order.

@item M-x sort-paragraphs
Divide the region into paragraphs, and sort by comparing the entire
text of a paragraph (except for leading blank lines).  A numeric
argument means sort into descending order.

@item M-x sort-pages
Divide the region into pages, and sort by comparing the entire
text of a page (except for leading blank lines).  A numeric
argument means sort into descending order.

@item M-x sort-fields
Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the contents of
one field in each line.  Fields are defined as separated by
whitespace, so the first run of consecutive non-whitespace characters
in a line constitutes field 1, the second such run constitutes field
2, etc.

Specify which field to sort by with a numeric argument: 1 to sort by
field 1, etc.  A negative argument means count fields from the right
instead of from the left; thus, minus 1 means sort by the last field.
If several lines have identical contents in the field being sorted, they
keep the same relative order that they had in the original buffer.

@item M-x sort-numeric-fields
Like @kbd{M-x sort-fields} except the specified field is converted
to an integer for each line, and the numbers are compared.  @samp{10}
comes before @samp{2} when considered as text, but after it when
considered as a number.  By default, numbers are interpreted according
to @code{sort-numeric-base}, but numbers beginning with @samp{0x} or
@samp{0} are interpreted as hexadecimal and octal, respectively.

@item M-x sort-columns
Like @kbd{M-x sort-fields} except that the text within each line
used for comparison comes from a fixed range of columns.  See below
for an explanation.

@item M-x reverse-region
Reverse the order of the lines in the region.  This is useful for
sorting into descending order by fields or columns, since those sort
commands do not have a feature for doing that.
@end table

  For example, if the buffer contains this:

@smallexample
On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
saved.  If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
the buffer.
@end smallexample

@noindent
applying @kbd{M-x sort-lines} to the entire buffer produces this:

@smallexample
On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
saved.  If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
the buffer.
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
@end smallexample

@noindent
where the upper-case @samp{O} sorts before all lower-case letters.  If
you use @kbd{C-u 2 M-x sort-fields} instead, you get this:

@smallexample
implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
saved.  If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
the buffer.
On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
@end smallexample

@noindent
where the sort keys were @samp{Emacs}, @samp{If}, @samp{buffer},
@samp{systems} and @samp{the}.

@findex sort-columns
  @kbd{M-x sort-columns} requires more explanation.  You specify the
columns by putting point at one of the columns and the mark at the other
column.  Because this means you cannot put point or the mark at the
beginning of the first line of the text you want to sort, this command
uses an unusual definition of ``region'': all of the line point is in is
considered part of the region, and so is all of the line the mark is in,
as well as all the lines in between.

  For example, to sort a table by information found in columns 10 to 15,
you could put the mark on column 10 in the first line of the table, and
point on column 15 in the last line of the table, and then run
@code{sort-columns}.  Equivalently, you could run it with the mark on
column 15 in the first line and point on column 10 in the last line.

  This can be thought of as sorting the rectangle specified by point and
the mark, except that the text on each line to the left or right of the
rectangle moves along with the text inside the rectangle.
@xref{Rectangles}.

@vindex sort-fold-case
  Many of the sort commands ignore case differences when comparing, if
@code{sort-fold-case} is non-@code{nil}.

@c Picture Mode documentation
@ifnottex
@include picture-xtra.texi
@end ifnottex


@node Editing Binary Files
@section Editing Binary Files

@cindex Hexl mode
@cindex mode, Hexl
@cindex editing binary files
@cindex hex editing
  There is a special major mode for editing binary files: Hexl mode.  To
use it, use @kbd{M-x hexl-find-file} instead of @kbd{C-x C-f} to visit
the file.  This command converts the file's contents to hexadecimal and
lets you edit the translation.  When you save the file, it is converted
automatically back to binary.

  You can also use @kbd{M-x hexl-mode} to translate an existing buffer
into hex.  This is useful if you visit a file normally and then discover
it is a binary file.

  Ordinary text characters overwrite in Hexl mode.  This is to reduce
the risk of accidentally spoiling the alignment of data in the file.
There are special commands for insertion.  Here is a list of the
commands of Hexl mode:

@c I don't think individual index entries for these commands are useful--RMS.
@table @kbd
@item C-M-d
Insert a byte with a code typed in decimal.

@item C-M-o
Insert a byte with a code typed in octal.

@item C-M-x
Insert a byte with a code typed in hex.

@item C-x [
Move to the beginning of a 1k-byte ``page.''

@item C-x ]
Move to the end of a 1k-byte ``page.''

@item M-g
Move to an address specified in hex.

@item M-j
Move to an address specified in decimal.

@item C-c C-c
Leave Hexl mode, going back to the major mode this buffer had before you
invoked @code{hexl-mode}.
@end table

@noindent
Other Hexl commands let you insert strings (sequences) of binary
bytes, move by @code{short}s or @code{int}s, etc.; type @kbd{C-h a
hexl-@key{RET}} for details.


@node Saving Emacs Sessions, Recursive Edit, Editing Binary Files, Top
@section Saving Emacs Sessions
@cindex saving sessions
@cindex restore session
@cindex remember editing session
@cindex reload files
@cindex desktop

   Use the desktop library to save the state of Emacs from one session
to another.  Once you save the Emacs @dfn{desktop}---the buffers,
their file names, major modes, buffer positions, and so on---then
subsequent Emacs sessions reload the saved desktop.

@findex desktop-save
@vindex desktop-save-mode
  You can save the desktop manually with the command @kbd{M-x
desktop-save}.  You can also enable automatic saving of the desktop
when you exit Emacs, and automatic restoration of the last saved
desktop when Emacs starts: use the Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy
Customization}) to set @code{desktop-save-mode} to @code{t} for future
sessions, or add this line in your init file (@pxref{Init File}):

@example
(desktop-save-mode 1)
@end example

@findex desktop-change-dir
@findex desktop-revert
@vindex desktop-path
  If you turn on @code{desktop-save-mode} in your init file, then when
Emacs starts, it looks for a saved desktop in the current directory.
(More precisely, it looks in the directories specified by
@var{desktop-path}, and uses the first desktop it finds.)
Thus, you can have separate saved desktops in different directories,
and the starting directory determines which one Emacs reloads.  You
can save the current desktop and reload one saved in another directory
by typing @kbd{M-x desktop-change-dir}.  Typing @kbd{M-x
desktop-revert} reverts to the desktop previously reloaded.

  Specify the option @samp{--no-desktop} on the command line when you
don't want it to reload any saved desktop.  This turns off
@code{desktop-save-mode} for the current session.  Starting Emacs with
the @samp{--no-init-file} option also disables desktop reloading,
since it bypasses the init file, where @code{desktop-save-mode} is
usually turned on.

@vindex desktop-restore-eager
  By default, all the buffers in the desktop are restored at one go.
However, this may be slow if there are a lot of buffers in the
desktop.  You can specify the maximum number of buffers to restore
immediately with the variable @code{desktop-restore-eager}; the
remaining buffers are restored ``lazily,'' when Emacs is idle.

@findex desktop-clear
@vindex desktop-globals-to-clear
@vindex desktop-clear-preserve-buffers-regexp
  Type @kbd{M-x desktop-clear} to empty the Emacs desktop.  This kills
all buffers except for internal ones, and clears the global variables
listed in @code{desktop-globals-to-clear}.  If you want this to
preserve certain buffers, customize the variable
@code{desktop-clear-preserve-buffers-regexp}, whose value is a regular
expression matching the names of buffers not to kill.

  If you want to save minibuffer history from one session to
another, use the @code{savehist} library.

@node Recursive Edit, Emulation, Saving Emacs Sessions, Top
@section Recursive Editing Levels
@cindex recursive editing level
@cindex editing level, recursive

  A @dfn{recursive edit} is a situation in which you are using Emacs
commands to perform arbitrary editing while in the middle of another
Emacs command.  For example, when you type @kbd{C-r} inside of a
@code{query-replace}, you enter a recursive edit in which you can change
the current buffer.  On exiting from the recursive edit, you go back to
the @code{query-replace}.

@kindex C-M-c
@findex exit-recursive-edit
@cindex exiting recursive edit
  @dfn{Exiting} the recursive edit means returning to the unfinished
command, which continues execution.  The command to exit is @kbd{C-M-c}
(@code{exit-recursive-edit}).

  You can also @dfn{abort} the recursive edit.  This is like exiting,
but also quits the unfinished command immediately.  Use the command
@kbd{C-]} (@code{abort-recursive-edit}) to do this.  @xref{Quitting}.

  The mode line shows you when you are in a recursive edit by displaying
square brackets around the parentheses that always surround the major and
minor mode names.  Every window's mode line shows this in the same way,
since being in a recursive edit is true of Emacs as a whole rather than
any particular window or buffer.

  It is possible to be in recursive edits within recursive edits.  For
example, after typing @kbd{C-r} in a @code{query-replace}, you may type a
command that enters the debugger.  This begins a recursive editing level
for the debugger, within the recursive editing level for @kbd{C-r}.
Mode lines display a pair of square brackets for each recursive editing
level currently in progress.

  Exiting the inner recursive edit (such as with the debugger @kbd{c}
command) resumes the command running in the next level up.  When that
command finishes, you can then use @kbd{C-M-c} to exit another recursive
editing level, and so on.  Exiting applies to the innermost level only.
Aborting also gets out of only one level of recursive edit; it returns
immediately to the command level of the previous recursive edit.  If you
wish, you can then abort the next recursive editing level.

  Alternatively, the command @kbd{M-x top-level} aborts all levels of
recursive edits, returning immediately to the top-level command
reader.  It also exits the minibuffer, if it is active.

  The text being edited inside the recursive edit need not be the same text
that you were editing at top level.  It depends on what the recursive edit
is for.  If the command that invokes the recursive edit selects a different
buffer first, that is the buffer you will edit recursively.  In any case,
you can switch buffers within the recursive edit in the normal manner (as
long as the buffer-switching keys have not been rebound).  You could
probably do all the rest of your editing inside the recursive edit,
visiting files and all.  But this could have surprising effects (such as
stack overflow) from time to time.  So remember to exit or abort the
recursive edit when you no longer need it.

  In general, we try to minimize the use of recursive editing levels in
GNU Emacs.  This is because they constrain you to ``go back'' in a
particular order---from the innermost level toward the top level.  When
possible, we present different activities in separate buffers so that
you can switch between them as you please.  Some commands switch to a
new major mode which provides a command to switch back.  These
approaches give you more flexibility to go back to unfinished tasks in
the order you choose.

@node Emulation, Hyperlinking, Recursive Edit, Top
@section Emulation
@cindex emulating other editors
@cindex other editors
@cindex EDT
@cindex vi
@cindex PC key bindings
@cindex scrolling all windows
@cindex PC selection
@cindex Motif key bindings
@cindex Macintosh key bindings
@cindex WordStar

  GNU Emacs can be programmed to emulate (more or less) most other
editors.  Standard facilities can emulate these:

@table @asis
@item CRiSP/Brief (PC editor)
@findex crisp-mode
@vindex crisp-override-meta-x
@findex scroll-all-mode
@cindex CRiSP mode
@cindex Brief emulation
@cindex emulation of Brief
@cindex mode, CRiSP
You can turn on key bindings to emulate the CRiSP/Brief editor with
@kbd{M-x crisp-mode}.  Note that this rebinds @kbd{M-x} to exit Emacs
unless you set the variable @code{crisp-override-meta-x}.  You can
also use the command @kbd{M-x scroll-all-mode} or set the variable
@code{crisp-load-scroll-all} to emulate CRiSP's scroll-all feature
(scrolling all windows together).

@item EDT (DEC VMS editor)
@findex edt-emulation-on
@findex edt-emulation-off
Turn on EDT emulation @kbd{M-x edt-emulation-on}; use @kbd{M-x
edt-emulation-off} to restore normal Emacs command bindings.

Most of the EDT emulation commands are keypad keys, and most standard
Emacs key bindings are still available.  The EDT emulation rebindings
are done in the global keymap, so there is no problem switching
buffers or major modes while in EDT emulation.

@item TPU (DEC VMS editor)
@findex tpu-edt-on
@cindex TPU
@kbd{M-x tpu-edt-on} turns on emulation of the TPU editor emulating EDT.

@item vi (Berkeley editor)
@findex viper-mode
Viper is the newest emulator for vi.  It implements several levels of
emulation; level 1 is closest to vi itself, while level 5 departs
somewhat from strict emulation to take advantage of the capabilities of
Emacs.  To invoke Viper, type @kbd{M-x viper-mode}; it will guide you
the rest of the way and ask for the emulation level.  @inforef{Top,
Viper, viper}.

@item vi (another emulator)
@findex vi-mode
@kbd{M-x vi-mode} enters a major mode that replaces the previously
established major mode.  All of the vi commands that, in real vi, enter
``input'' mode are programmed instead to return to the previous major
mode.  Thus, ordinary Emacs serves as vi's ``input'' mode.

Because vi emulation works through major modes, it does not work
to switch buffers during emulation.  Return to normal Emacs first.

If you plan to use vi emulation much, you probably want to bind a key
to the @code{vi-mode} command.

@item vi (alternate emulator)
@findex vip-mode
@kbd{M-x vip-mode} invokes another vi emulator, said to resemble real vi
more thoroughly than @kbd{M-x vi-mode}.  ``Input'' mode in this emulator
is changed from ordinary Emacs so you can use @key{ESC} to go back to
emulated vi command mode.  To get from emulated vi command mode back to
ordinary Emacs, type @kbd{C-z}.

This emulation does not work through major modes, and it is possible
to switch buffers in various ways within the emulator.  It is not
so necessary to assign a key to the command @code{vip-mode} as
it is with @code{vi-mode} because terminating insert mode does
not use it.

@inforef{Top, VIP, vip}, for full information.

@item WordStar (old wordprocessor)
@findex wordstar-mode
@kbd{M-x wordstar-mode} provides a major mode with WordStar-like
key bindings.
@end table

@node Hyperlinking, Amusements, Emulation, Top
@section Hyperlinking and Navigation Features

@cindex hyperlinking
@cindex navigation
  Various modes documented elsewhere have hypertext features so that
you can follow links, usually by clicking @kbd{Mouse-2} on the link or
typing @key{RET} while point is on the link.  Clicking @kbd{Mouse-1}
quickly on the link also follows it.  (Hold @kbd{Mouse-1} for longer
if you want to set point instead.)

  Info mode, Help mode and the Dired-like modes are examples of modes
that have links in the buffer.  The Tags facility links between uses
and definitions in source files, see @ref{Tags}.  Imenu provides
navigation amongst items indexed in the current buffer, see
@ref{Imenu}.  Info-lookup provides mode-specific lookup of definitions
in Info indexes, see @ref{Documentation}.  Speedbar maintains a frame
in which links to files, and locations in files are displayed, see
@ref{Speedbar}.

  Other non-mode-specific facilities described in this section enable
following links from the current buffer in a context-sensitive
fashion.

@menu
* Browse-URL::                  Following URLs.
* Goto Address mode::           Activating URLs.
* FFAP::                        Finding files etc. at point.
@end menu

@node Browse-URL
@subsection  Following URLs
@cindex World Wide Web
@cindex Web
@findex browse-url
@findex browse-url-at-point
@findex browse-url-at-mouse
@cindex Browse-URL
@cindex URLs

@table @kbd
@item M-x browse-url @key{RET} @var{url} @key{RET}
Load a URL into a Web browser.
@end table

The Browse-URL package provides facilities for following URLs specifying
links on the World Wide Web.  Usually this works by invoking a web
browser, but you can, for instance, arrange to invoke @code{compose-mail}
from @samp{mailto:} URLs.

  The general way to use this feature is to type @kbd{M-x browse-url},
which displays a specified URL.  If point is located near a plausible
URL, that URL is used as the default.  Other commands are available
which you might like to bind to keys, such as
@code{browse-url-at-point} and @code{browse-url-at-mouse}.

@vindex browse-url-browser-function
  You can customize Browse-URL's behavior via various options in the
@code{browse-url} Customize group, particularly
@code{browse-url-browser-function}.  You can invoke actions dependent
on the type of URL by defining @code{browse-url-browser-function} as
an association list.  The package's commentary available via @kbd{C-h
p} under the @samp{hypermedia} keyword provides more information.
Packages with facilities for following URLs should always go through
Browse-URL, so that the customization options for Browse-URL will
affect all browsing in Emacs.

@node Goto Address mode
@subsection Activating URLs
@findex goto-address-mode
@cindex Goto Address mode
@cindex URLs, activating

@table @kbd
@item M-x goto-address-mode
Activate URLs and e-mail addresses in the current buffer.
@end table

  You can make URLs in the current buffer active with @kbd{M-x
goto-address-mode}.  This minor mode finds all the URLs in the buffer,
highlights them, and turns them into @dfn{buttons}: if you click on a
URL with @kbd{Mouse-1} or @kbd{Mouse-2} (@pxref{Mouse References}), or
move to the URL and type @kbd{C-c @key{RET}}, that displays the web
page that the URL specifies.  For a @samp{mailto} URL, it sends mail
instead, using your selected mail-composition method (@pxref{Mail
Methods}).

  It can be useful to add @code{goto-address-mode} to mode hooks and
the hooks used to display an incoming message (e.g.,
@code{rmail-show-message-hook} for Rmail, and @code{mh-show-mode-hook}
for MH-E).  This is not needed for Gnus, which has a similar feature
of its own.

@node FFAP
@subsection Finding Files and URLs at Point
@findex find-file-at-point
@findex ffap
@findex dired-at-point
@findex ffap-next
@findex ffap-menu
@cindex finding file at point

  FFAP mode replaces certain key bindings for finding files, including
@kbd{C-x C-f}, with commands that provide more sensitive defaults.
These commands behave like the ordinary ones when given a prefix
argument.  Otherwise, they get the default file name or URL from the
text around point.  If what is found in the buffer has the form of a
URL rather than a file name, the commands use @code{browse-url} to
view it.

  This feature is useful for following references in mail or news
buffers, @file{README} files, @file{MANIFEST} files, and so on.  The
@samp{ffap} package's commentary available via @kbd{C-h p} under the
@samp{files} keyword and the @code{ffap} Custom group provide details.

@cindex FFAP minor mode
@findex ffap-mode
  You can turn on FFAP minor mode by calling @code{ffap-bindings} to
make the following key bindings and to install hooks for using
@code{ffap} in Rmail, Gnus and VM article buffers.

@table @kbd
@item C-x C-f @var{filename} @key{RET}
@kindex C-x C-f @r{(FFAP)}
Find @var{filename}, guessing a default from text around point
(@code{find-file-at-point}).
@item C-x C-r
@kindex C-x C-r @r{(FFAP)}
@code{ffap-read-only}, analogous to @code{find-file-read-only}.
@item C-x C-v
@kindex C-x C-v @r{(FFAP)}
@code{ffap-alternate-file}, analogous to @code{find-alternate-file}.
@item C-x d @var{directory} @key{RET}
@kindex C-x d @r{(FFAP)}
Start Dired on @var{directory}, defaulting to the directory name at
point (@code{dired-at-point}).
@item C-x C-d
@code{ffap-list-directory}, analogous to @code{list-directory}.
@item C-x 4 f
@kindex C-x 4 f @r{(FFAP)}
@code{ffap-other-window}, analogous to @code{find-file-other-window}.
@item C-x 4 r
@code{ffap-read-only-other-window}, analogous to
@code{find-file-read-only-other-window}.
@item C-x 4 d
@code{ffap-dired-other-window}, analogous to @code{dired-other-window}.
@item C-x 5 f
@kindex C-x 5 f @r{(FFAP)}
@code{ffap-other-frame}, analogous to @code{find-file-other-frame}.
@item C-x 5 r
@code{ffap-read-only-other-frame}, analogous to
@code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
@item C-x 5 d
@code{ffap-dired-other-frame}, analogous to @code{dired-other-frame}.
@item M-x ffap-next
Search buffer for next file name or URL, then find that file or URL.
@item S-Mouse-3
@kindex S-Mouse-3 @r{(FFAP)}
@code{ffap-at-mouse} finds the file guessed from text around the position
of a mouse click.
@item C-S-Mouse-3
@kindex C-S-Mouse-3 @r{(FFAP)}
Display a menu of files and URLs mentioned in current buffer, then
find the one you select (@code{ffap-menu}).
@end table

@node Amusements, Packages, Hyperlinking, Top
@section Other Amusements
@cindex boredom

@findex animate-birthday-present
@cindex animate
  The @code{animate} package makes text dance.  For an example, try
@kbd{M-x animate-birthday-present}.

@findex blackbox
@findex mpuz
@findex 5x5
@cindex puzzles
  @kbd{M-x blackbox}, @kbd{M-x mpuz} and @kbd{M-x 5x5} are puzzles.
@code{blackbox} challenges you to determine the location of objects
inside a box by tomography.  @code{mpuz} displays a multiplication
puzzle with letters standing for digits in a code that you must
guess---to guess a value, type a letter and then the digit you think it
stands for.  The aim of @code{5x5} is to fill in all the squares.

@findex bubbles
  @kbd{M-x bubbles} is a game in which the object is to remove as many
bubbles as you can in the smallest number of moves.

@findex decipher
@cindex ciphers
@cindex cryptanalysis
  @kbd{M-x decipher} helps you to cryptanalyze a buffer which is
encrypted in a simple monoalphabetic substitution cipher.

@findex dissociated-press
  @kbd{M-x dissociated-press} scrambles the text in the current Emacs
buffer, word by word or character by character, writing its output to
a buffer named @samp{*Dissociation*}.  A positive argument tells it to
operate character by character, and specifies the number of overlap
characters.  A negative argument tells it to operate word by word, and
specifies the number of overlap words.  Dissociated Press produces
results fairly like those of a Markov chain, but is however, an
independent, ignoriginal invention; it techniquitously copies several
consecutive characters from the sample text between random jumps,
unlike a Markov chain which would jump randomly after each word or
character.  Keep dissociwords out of your documentation, if you want
it to be well userenced and properbose.

@findex dunnet
  @kbd{M-x dunnet} runs an text-based adventure game.

@findex gomoku
@cindex Go Moku
  If you want a little more personal involvement, try @kbd{M-x gomoku},
which plays the game Go Moku with you.

@cindex tower of Hanoi
@findex hanoi
  If you are a little bit bored, you can try @kbd{M-x hanoi}.  If you are
considerably bored, give it a numeric argument.  If you are very, very
bored, try an argument of 9.  Sit back and watch.

@findex life
@cindex Life
  @kbd{M-x life} runs Conway's ``Life'' cellular automaton.

@findex lm
@cindex landmark game
  @kbd{M-x lm} runs a relatively non-participatory game in which a
robot attempts to maneuver towards a tree at the center of the window
based on unique olfactory cues from each of the four directions.

@findex morse-region
@findex unmorse-region
@cindex Morse code
@cindex --/---/.-./.../.
  @kbd{M-x morse-region} converts text in a region to Morse code and
@kbd{M-x unmorse-region} converts it back.  No cause for remorse.

@findex pong
@cindex Pong game
@findex tetris
@cindex Tetris
@findex snake
@cindex Snake
  @kbd{M-x pong}, @kbd{M-x snake} and @kbd{M-x tetris} are
implementations of the well-known Pong, Snake and Tetris games.

@findex solitaire
@cindex solitaire
  @kbd{M-x solitaire} plays a game of solitaire in which you jump pegs
across other pegs.

@findex zone
  The command @kbd{M-x zone} plays games with the display when Emacs
is idle.

  Finally, if you find yourself frustrated, try the famous Eliza
program.  Just do @kbd{M-x doctor}.  End each input by typing
@key{RET} twice.

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