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1 | @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
2 | @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, | |
114f9c96 | 3 | @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
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4 | @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 | @node Glossary, Key Index, Intro, Top | |
6 | @unnumbered Glossary | |
7 | ||
8 | @table @asis | |
9 | @item Abbrev | |
10 | An abbrev is a text string which expands into a different text string | |
11 | when present in the buffer. For example, you might define a few letters | |
12 | as an abbrev for a long phrase that you want to insert frequently. | |
13 | @xref{Abbrevs}. | |
14 | ||
15 | @item Aborting | |
16 | Aborting means getting out of a recursive edit (q.v.@:). The | |
17 | commands @kbd{C-]} and @kbd{M-x top-level} are used for this. | |
18 | @xref{Quitting}. | |
19 | ||
20 | @item Alt | |
07ee224d | 21 | Alt is the name of a modifier bit that a keyboard input character may |
8cf51b2c GM |
22 | have. To make a character Alt, type it while holding down the @key{ALT} |
23 | key. Such characters are given names that start with @kbd{Alt-} | |
24 | (usually written @kbd{A-} for short). (Note that many terminals have a | |
07ee224d | 25 | key labeled @key{ALT} that is really a @key{META} key.) @xref{User |
8cf51b2c GM |
26 | Input, Alt}. |
27 | ||
28 | @item Argument | |
29 | See `numeric argument.' | |
30 | ||
31 | @item @acronym{ASCII} character | |
07ee224d GM |
32 | An @acronym{ASCII} character is either an @acronym{ASCII} control |
33 | character or an @acronym{ASCII} printing character. @xref{User Input}. | |
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34 | |
35 | @item @acronym{ASCII} control character | |
36 | An @acronym{ASCII} control character is the Control version of an upper-case | |
37 | letter, or the Control version of one of the characters @samp{@@[\]^_?}. | |
38 | ||
39 | @item @acronym{ASCII} printing character | |
40 | @acronym{ASCII} printing characters include letters, digits, space, and these | |
41 | punctuation characters: @samp{!@@#$%^& *()_-+=|\~` @{@}[]:;"' <>,.?/}. | |
42 | ||
43 | @item Auto Fill Mode | |
07ee224d | 44 | Auto Fill mode is a minor mode (q.v.@:) in which text that you insert is |
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45 | automatically broken into lines of a given maximum width. |
46 | @xref{Filling}. | |
47 | ||
48 | @item Auto Saving | |
07ee224d GM |
49 | Auto saving is the practice of periodically saving the contents of an |
50 | Emacs buffer in a specially-named file, so that the information will | |
51 | be preserved if the buffer is lost due to a system error or user error. | |
52 | @xref{Auto Save}. | |
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53 | |
54 | @item Autoloading | |
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55 | Emacs can automatically load Lisp libraries when a Lisp program requests a |
56 | function from those libraries. This is called `autoloading.' | |
57 | @xref{Lisp Libraries}. | |
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58 | |
59 | @item Backtrace | |
60 | A backtrace is a trace of a series of function calls showing how a | |
07ee224d | 61 | program arrived at a certain point. It is used mainly for finding and |
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62 | correcting bugs (q.v.@:). Emacs can display a backtrace when it signals |
63 | an error or when you type @kbd{C-g} (see `quitting'). @xref{Checklist}. | |
64 | ||
65 | @item Backup File | |
66 | A backup file records the contents that a file had before the current | |
67 | editing session. Emacs makes backup files automatically to help you | |
68 | track down or cancel changes you later regret making. @xref{Backup}. | |
69 | ||
70 | @item Balancing Parentheses | |
71 | Emacs can balance parentheses (or other matching delimiters) either | |
72 | manually or automatically. You do manual balancing with the commands | |
73 | to move over parenthetical groupings (@pxref{Moving by Parens}). | |
74 | Automatic balancing works by blinking or highlighting the delimiter | |
75 | that matches the one you just inserted (@pxref{Matching,,Matching | |
76 | Parens}). | |
77 | ||
78 | @item Balanced Expressions | |
79 | A balanced expression is a syntactically recognizable expression, such | |
80 | as a symbol, number, string constant, block, or parenthesized expression | |
81 | in C. @xref{Expressions,Balanced Expressions}. | |
82 | ||
83 | @item Balloon Help | |
84 | See `tooltips.' | |
85 | ||
86 | @item Base Buffer | |
87 | A base buffer is a buffer whose text is shared by an indirect buffer | |
88 | (q.v.@:). | |
89 | ||
90 | @item Bind | |
91 | To bind a key sequence means to give it a binding (q.v.@:). | |
92 | @xref{Rebinding}. | |
93 | ||
94 | @item Binding | |
95 | A key sequence gets its meaning in Emacs by having a binding, which is a | |
07ee224d | 96 | command (q.v.@:), a Lisp function that is run when you type that |
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97 | sequence. @xref{Commands,Binding}. Customization often involves |
98 | rebinding a character to a different command function. The bindings of | |
99 | all key sequences are recorded in the keymaps (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}. | |
100 | ||
101 | @item Blank Lines | |
102 | Blank lines are lines that contain only whitespace. Emacs has several | |
103 | commands for operating on the blank lines in the buffer. | |
104 | ||
105 | @item Bookmark | |
106 | Bookmarks are akin to registers (q.v.@:) in that they record positions | |
107 | in buffers to which you can return later. Unlike registers, bookmarks | |
108 | persist between Emacs sessions. | |
109 | ||
110 | @item Border | |
111 | A border is a thin space along the edge of the frame, used just for | |
112 | spacing, not for displaying anything. An Emacs frame has an ordinary | |
113 | external border, outside of everything including the menu bar, plus an | |
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114 | internal border that surrounds the text windows, their scroll bars |
115 | and fringes, and separates them from the menu bar and tool bar. You | |
116 | can customize both borders with options and resources (@pxref{Borders | |
117 | X}). Borders are not the same as fringes (q.v.@:). | |
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118 | |
119 | @item Buffer | |
120 | The buffer is the basic editing unit; one buffer corresponds to one text | |
121 | being edited. You can have several buffers, but at any time you are | |
122 | editing only one, the `current buffer,' though several can be visible | |
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123 | when you are using multiple windows or frames (q.v.@:). Most buffers |
124 | are visiting (q.v.@:) some file. @xref{Buffers}. | |
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125 | |
126 | @item Buffer Selection History | |
127 | Emacs keeps a buffer selection history which records how recently each | |
128 | Emacs buffer has been selected. This is used for choosing a buffer to | |
129 | select. @xref{Buffers}. | |
130 | ||
131 | @item Bug | |
132 | A bug is an incorrect or unreasonable behavior of a program, or | |
133 | inaccurate or confusing documentation. Emacs developers treat bug | |
134 | reports, both in Emacs code and its documentation, very seriously and | |
135 | ask you to report any bugs you find. @xref{Bugs}. | |
136 | ||
137 | @item Button Down Event | |
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138 | A button down event is the kind of input event (q.v.@:) generated |
139 | right away when you press down on a mouse button. @xref{Mouse Buttons}. | |
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140 | |
141 | @item By Default | |
142 | See `default.' | |
143 | ||
144 | @item Byte Compilation | |
145 | See `compilation.' | |
146 | ||
147 | @item @kbd{C-} | |
148 | @kbd{C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for Control. | |
149 | @xref{User Input,C-}. | |
150 | ||
151 | @item @kbd{C-M-} | |
152 | @kbd{C-M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for | |
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153 | Control-Meta. If your terminal lacks a real @key{META} key, you type |
154 | a Control-Meta character by typing @key{ESC} and then typing the | |
155 | corresponding Control character. @xref{User Input,C-M-}. | |
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156 | |
157 | @item Case Conversion | |
158 | Case conversion means changing text from upper case to lower case or | |
159 | vice versa. @xref{Case}, for the commands for case conversion. | |
160 | ||
161 | @item Character | |
71f675e5 CY |
162 | Characters form the contents of an Emacs buffer. Also, key sequences |
163 | (q.v.@:) are usually made up of characters (though they may include | |
164 | other input events as well). @xref{User Input}. | |
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165 | |
166 | @item Character Set | |
167 | Emacs supports a number of character sets, each of which represents a | |
168 | particular alphabet or script. @xref{International}. | |
169 | ||
170 | @item Character Terminal | |
171 | See `text-only terminal.' | |
172 | ||
173 | @item Click Event | |
07ee224d GM |
174 | A click event is the kind of input event (q.v.@:) generated when you |
175 | press a mouse button and release it without moving the mouse. | |
176 | @xref{Mouse Buttons}. | |
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177 | |
178 | @item Clipboard | |
179 | A clipboard is a buffer provided by the window system for transferring | |
180 | text between applications. On the X Window system, the clipboard is | |
181 | provided in addition to the primary selection (q.v.@:); on MS-Windows and Mac, | |
182 | the clipboard is used @emph{instead} of the primary selection. | |
183 | @xref{Clipboard}. | |
184 | ||
185 | @item Coding System | |
186 | A coding system is an encoding for representing text characters in a | |
187 | file or in a stream of information. Emacs has the ability to convert | |
188 | text to or from a variety of coding systems when reading or writing it. | |
189 | @xref{Coding Systems}. | |
190 | ||
191 | @item Command | |
192 | A command is a Lisp function specially defined to be able to serve as a | |
193 | key binding in Emacs. When you type a key sequence (q.v.@:), its | |
194 | binding (q.v.@:) is looked up in the relevant keymaps (q.v.@:) to find | |
195 | the command to run. @xref{Commands}. | |
196 | ||
197 | @item Command History | |
198 | See `minibuffer history.' | |
199 | ||
200 | @item Command Name | |
201 | A command name is the name of a Lisp symbol which is a command | |
202 | (@pxref{Commands}). You can invoke any command by its name using | |
203 | @kbd{M-x} (@pxref{M-x,M-x,Running Commands by Name}). | |
204 | ||
205 | @item Comment | |
206 | A comment is text in a program which is intended only for humans reading | |
07ee224d | 207 | the program, and which is specially marked so that it will be ignored |
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208 | when the program is loaded or compiled. Emacs offers special commands |
209 | for creating, aligning and killing comments. @xref{Comments}. | |
210 | ||
211 | @item Common Lisp | |
212 | Common Lisp is a dialect of Lisp (q.v.@:) much larger and more powerful | |
213 | than Emacs Lisp. Emacs provides a subset of Common Lisp in the CL | |
214 | package. @xref{Top, Common Lisp, Overview, cl, Common Lisp Extensions}. | |
215 | ||
216 | @item Compilation | |
217 | Compilation is the process of creating an executable program from source | |
218 | code. Emacs has commands for compiling files of Emacs Lisp code | |
219 | (@pxref{Byte Compilation,,, elisp, the Emacs Lisp | |
220 | Reference Manual}) and programs in C and other languages | |
221 | (@pxref{Compilation}). | |
222 | ||
223 | @item Complete Key | |
224 | A complete key is a key sequence which fully specifies one action to be | |
225 | performed by Emacs. For example, @kbd{X} and @kbd{C-f} and @kbd{C-x m} | |
226 | are complete keys. Complete keys derive their meanings from being bound | |
227 | (q.v.@:) to commands (q.v.@:). Thus, @kbd{X} is conventionally bound to | |
228 | a command to insert @samp{X} in the buffer; @kbd{C-x m} is | |
229 | conventionally bound to a command to begin composing a mail message. | |
230 | @xref{Keys}. | |
231 | ||
232 | @item Completion | |
07ee224d | 233 | Completion is what Emacs does when it automatically expands an |
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234 | abbreviation for a name into the entire name. Completion is done for |
235 | minibuffer (q.v.@:) arguments when the set of possible valid inputs | |
236 | is known; for example, on command names, buffer names, and | |
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237 | file names. Completion usually occurs when @key{TAB}, @key{SPC} or |
238 | @key{RET} is typed. @xref{Completion}.@refill | |
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239 | |
240 | @item Continuation Line | |
241 | When a line of text is longer than the width of the window, it | |
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242 | normally (but see `Truncation') takes up more than one screen line |
243 | when displayed. We say that the text line is continued, and all | |
244 | screen lines used for it after the first are called continuation | |
245 | lines. @xref{Continuation Lines}. A related Emacs feature is | |
246 | `filling' (q.v.@:). | |
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247 | |
248 | @item Control Character | |
249 | A control character is a character that you type by holding down the | |
250 | @key{CTRL} key. Some control characters also have their own keys, so | |
251 | that you can type them without using @key{CTRL}. For example, | |
252 | @key{RET}, @key{TAB}, @key{ESC} and @key{DEL} are all control | |
253 | characters. @xref{User Input}. | |
254 | ||
255 | @item Copyleft | |
256 | A copyleft is a notice giving the public legal permission to | |
257 | redistribute and modify a program or other work of art, but requiring | |
258 | modified versions to carry similar permission. Copyright is normally | |
259 | used to keep users divided and helpless; with copyleft we turn that | |
260 | around to empower users and encourage them to cooperate. | |
261 | ||
262 | The particular form of copyleft used by the GNU project is called the | |
263 | GNU General Public License. @xref{Copying}. | |
264 | ||
265 | @item @key{CTRL} | |
266 | The @key{CTRL} or ``control'' key is what you hold down | |
07ee224d | 267 | in order to enter a control character (q.v.). See also `@kbd{C-}.' |
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268 | |
269 | @item Current Buffer | |
270 | The current buffer in Emacs is the Emacs buffer on which most editing | |
271 | commands operate. You can select any Emacs buffer as the current one. | |
272 | @xref{Buffers}. | |
273 | ||
274 | @item Current Line | |
275 | The current line is the line that point is on (@pxref{Point}). | |
276 | ||
277 | @item Current Paragraph | |
278 | The current paragraph is the paragraph that point is in. If point is | |
279 | between two paragraphs, the current paragraph is the one that follows | |
280 | point. @xref{Paragraphs}. | |
281 | ||
282 | @item Current Defun | |
283 | The current defun is the defun (q.v.@:) that point is in. If point is | |
284 | between defuns, the current defun is the one that follows point. | |
285 | @xref{Defuns}. | |
286 | ||
287 | @item Cursor | |
288 | The cursor is the rectangle on the screen which indicates the position | |
07ee224d | 289 | (called point; q.v.@:) at which insertion and deletion takes place. |
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290 | The cursor is on or under the character that follows point. Often |
291 | people speak of `the cursor' when, strictly speaking, they mean | |
292 | `point.' @xref{Point,Cursor}. | |
293 | ||
294 | @item Customization | |
07ee224d GM |
295 | Customization is making minor changes in the way Emacs works, to |
296 | reflect your preferences or needs. It is often done by setting | |
297 | variables (@pxref{Variables}) or faces (@pxref{Face Customization}), | |
298 | or by rebinding key sequences (@pxref{Keymaps}). | |
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299 | |
300 | @cindex cut and paste | |
301 | @item Cut and Paste | |
302 | See `killing' and `yanking.' | |
303 | ||
07ee224d | 304 | @item Daemon |
bd8aaa36 | 305 | A daemon is a standard term for a system-level process that runs in the |
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306 | background. Daemons are often started when the system first starts up. |
307 | When Emacs runs in daemon-mode, it runs in the background and does not | |
308 | open a display. You can then connect to it with the | |
309 | @command{emacsclient} program. @xref{Emacs Server}. | |
310 | ||
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311 | @item Default Argument |
312 | The default for an argument is the value that will be assumed if you | |
313 | do not specify one. When the minibuffer is used to read an argument, | |
314 | the default argument is used if you just type @key{RET}. | |
315 | @xref{Minibuffer}. | |
316 | ||
317 | @item Default | |
318 | A default is the value that is used for a certain purpose if and when | |
319 | you do not specify a value to use. | |
320 | ||
321 | @item Default Directory | |
322 | When you specify a file name that does not start with @samp{/} or @samp{~}, | |
323 | it is interpreted relative to the current buffer's default directory. | |
324 | (On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, file names which start with a drive letter | |
325 | @samp{@var{x}:} are treated as absolute, not relative.) | |
326 | @xref{Minibuffer File,Default Directory}. | |
327 | ||
328 | @item Defun | |
329 | A defun is a major definition at the top level in a program. The name | |
330 | `defun' comes from Lisp, where most such definitions use the construct | |
331 | @code{defun}. @xref{Defuns}. | |
332 | ||
333 | @item @key{DEL} | |
334 | @key{DEL} is a character that runs the command to delete one character | |
335 | of text before the cursor. It is typically either the @key{DELETE} | |
336 | key or the @key{BACKSPACE} key, whichever one is easy to type. | |
337 | @xref{Erasing,DEL}. | |
338 | ||
339 | @item Deletion | |
340 | Deletion means erasing text without copying it into the kill ring | |
341 | (q.v.@:). The alternative is killing (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing,Deletion}. | |
342 | ||
343 | @item Deletion of Files | |
344 | Deleting a file means erasing it from the file system. | |
07ee224d GM |
345 | (Note that some systems use the concept of a ``trash can'', or ``recycle |
346 | bin'', to allow you to ``undelete'' files.) | |
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347 | @xref{Misc File Ops,Misc File Ops,Miscellaneous File Operations}. |
348 | ||
349 | @item Deletion of Messages | |
07ee224d GM |
350 | Deleting a message (in Rmail, and other mail clients) means flagging |
351 | it to be eliminated from your mail file. Until you expunge (q.v.@:) | |
352 | the Rmail file, you can still undelete the messages you have deleted. | |
353 | @xref{Rmail Deletion}. | |
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354 | |
355 | @item Deletion of Windows | |
356 | Deleting a window means eliminating it from the screen. Other windows | |
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357 | expand to use up the space. The text that was in the window is not |
358 | lost, and you can create a new window with the same dimensions as the | |
359 | old if you wish. @xref{Windows}. | |
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360 | |
361 | @item Directory | |
362 | File directories are named collections in the file system, within which | |
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363 | you can place individual files or subdirectories. They are sometimes |
364 | referred to as ``folders.'' @xref{Directories}. | |
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365 | |
366 | @item Dired | |
367 | Dired is the Emacs facility that displays the contents of a file | |
368 | directory and allows you to ``edit the directory,'' performing | |
369 | operations on the files in the directory. @xref{Dired}. | |
370 | ||
371 | @item Disabled Command | |
372 | A disabled command is one that you may not run without special | |
373 | confirmation. The usual reason for disabling a command is that it is | |
374 | confusing for beginning users. @xref{Disabling}. | |
375 | ||
376 | @item Down Event | |
377 | Short for `button down event' (q.v.@:). | |
378 | ||
379 | @item Drag Event | |
07ee224d GM |
380 | A drag event is the kind of input event (q.v.@:) generated when you |
381 | press a mouse button, move the mouse, and then release the button. | |
382 | @xref{Mouse Buttons}. | |
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383 | |
384 | @item Dribble File | |
385 | A dribble file is a file into which Emacs writes all the characters that | |
07ee224d | 386 | you type on the keyboard. Dribble files can be used to make a record |
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387 | for debugging Emacs bugs. Emacs does not make a dribble file unless you |
388 | tell it to. @xref{Bugs}. | |
389 | ||
390 | @item Echo Area | |
391 | The echo area is the bottom line of the screen, used for echoing the | |
392 | arguments to commands, for asking questions, and showing brief messages | |
393 | (including error messages). The messages are stored in the buffer | |
394 | @samp{*Messages*} so you can review them later. @xref{Echo Area}. | |
395 | ||
396 | @item Echoing | |
397 | Echoing is acknowledging the receipt of input events by displaying | |
398 | them (in the echo area). Emacs never echoes single-character key | |
399 | sequences; longer key sequences echo only if you pause while typing | |
400 | them. | |
401 | ||
402 | @item Electric | |
403 | We say that a character is electric if it is normally self-inserting | |
404 | (q.v.@:), but the current major mode (q.v.@:) redefines it to do something | |
405 | else as well. For example, some programming language major modes define | |
07ee224d | 406 | particular delimiter characters to reindent the line, or insert one or |
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407 | more newlines in addition to self-insertion. |
408 | ||
409 | @item End Of Line | |
410 | End of line is a character or a sequence of characters that indicate | |
411 | the end of a text line. On GNU and Unix systems, this is a newline | |
412 | (q.v.@:), but other systems have other conventions. @xref{Coding | |
413 | Systems,end-of-line}. Emacs can recognize several end-of-line | |
414 | conventions in files and convert between them. | |
415 | ||
416 | @item Environment Variable | |
417 | An environment variable is one of a collection of variables stored by | |
418 | the operating system, each one having a name and a value. Emacs can | |
419 | access environment variables set by its parent shell, and it can set | |
420 | variables in the environment it passes to programs it invokes. | |
421 | @xref{Environment}. | |
422 | ||
423 | @item EOL | |
424 | See `end of line.' | |
425 | ||
426 | @item Error | |
427 | An error occurs when an Emacs command cannot execute in the current | |
428 | circumstances. When an error occurs, execution of the command stops | |
429 | (unless the command has been programmed to do otherwise) and Emacs | |
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430 | reports the error by displaying an error message (q.v.@:). |
431 | @c Not helpful? | |
432 | @c Type-ahead is discarded. Then Emacs is ready to read another | |
433 | @c editing command. | |
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434 | |
435 | @item Error Message | |
07ee224d GM |
436 | An error message is output displayed by Emacs when you ask it to do |
437 | something impossible (such as, killing text forward when point is at | |
438 | the end of the buffer), or when a command malfunctions in some way. | |
439 | Such messages appear in the echo area, accompanied by a beep. | |
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440 | |
441 | @item @key{ESC} | |
442 | @key{ESC} is a character used as a prefix for typing Meta characters on | |
443 | keyboards lacking a @key{META} key. Unlike the @key{META} key (which, | |
444 | like the @key{SHIFT} key, is held down while another character is | |
445 | typed), you press the @key{ESC} key as you would press a letter key, and | |
446 | it applies to the next character you type. | |
447 | ||
448 | @item Expression | |
449 | See `balanced expression.' | |
450 | ||
451 | @item Expunging | |
07ee224d GM |
452 | Expunging an Rmail, Gnus newsgroup, or Dired buffer is an operation |
453 | that truly discards the messages or files you have previously flagged | |
454 | for deletion. | |
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455 | |
456 | @item Face | |
457 | A face is a style of displaying characters. It specifies attributes | |
458 | such as font family and size, foreground and background colors, | |
459 | underline and strike-through, background stipple, etc. Emacs provides | |
460 | features to associate specific faces with portions of buffer text, in | |
461 | order to display that text as specified by the face attributes. | |
462 | @xref{Faces}. | |
463 | ||
464 | @item File Locking | |
465 | Emacs uses file locking to notice when two different users | |
466 | start to edit one file at the same time. @xref{Interlocking}. | |
467 | ||
468 | @item File Name | |
469 | A file name is a name that refers to a file. File names may be relative | |
470 | or absolute; the meaning of a relative file name depends on the current | |
471 | directory, but an absolute file name refers to the same file regardless | |
472 | of which directory is current. On GNU and Unix systems, an absolute | |
473 | file name starts with a slash (the root directory) or with @samp{~/} or | |
474 | @samp{~@var{user}/} (a home directory). On MS-Windows/MS-DOS, an | |
07ee224d | 475 | absolute file name can also start with a drive letter and a colon, e.g. |
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476 | @samp{@var{d}:}. |
477 | ||
478 | Some people use the term ``pathname'' for file names, but we do not; | |
479 | we use the word ``path'' only in the term ``search path'' (q.v.@:). | |
480 | ||
481 | @item File-Name Component | |
482 | A file-name component names a file directly within a particular | |
483 | directory. On GNU and Unix systems, a file name is a sequence of | |
484 | file-name components, separated by slashes. For example, @file{foo/bar} | |
485 | is a file name containing two components, @samp{foo} and @samp{bar}; it | |
486 | refers to the file named @samp{bar} in the directory named @samp{foo} in | |
487 | the current directory. MS-DOS/MS-Windows file names can also use | |
488 | backslashes to separate components, as in @file{foo\bar}. | |
489 | ||
490 | @item Fill Prefix | |
491 | The fill prefix is a string that should be expected at the beginning | |
492 | of each line when filling is done. It is not regarded as part of the | |
493 | text to be filled. @xref{Filling}. | |
494 | ||
495 | @item Filling | |
07ee224d GM |
496 | Filling text means adjusting the position of line-breaks to shift text |
497 | between consecutive lines, so that all the lines are approximately the | |
498 | same length. @xref{Filling}. Some other editors call this feature | |
499 | `line wrapping.' | |
8cf51b2c GM |
500 | |
501 | @item Font Lock | |
07ee224d GM |
502 | Font Lock is a mode that highlights parts of buffer text in different |
503 | faces, according to the syntax. For example, all comments (q.v.@:) | |
504 | might be colored red. @xref{Font Lock}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
505 | |
506 | @item Fontset | |
507 | A fontset is a named collection of fonts. A fontset specification lists | |
508 | character sets and which font to use to display each of them. Fontsets | |
509 | make it easy to change several fonts at once by specifying the name of a | |
510 | fontset, rather than changing each font separately. @xref{Fontsets}. | |
511 | ||
512 | @item Formatted Text | |
513 | Formatted text is text that displays with formatting information while | |
514 | you edit. Formatting information includes fonts, colors, and specified | |
515 | margins. @xref{Formatted Text}. | |
516 | ||
517 | @item Formfeed Character | |
518 | See `page.' | |
519 | ||
520 | @item Frame | |
521 | A frame is a rectangular cluster of Emacs windows. Emacs starts out | |
522 | with one frame, but you can create more. You can subdivide each frame | |
523 | into Emacs windows (q.v.@:). When you are using a window system | |
07ee224d | 524 | (q.v.@:), more than one frame can be visible at the same time. |
8cf51b2c GM |
525 | @xref{Frames}. Some other editors use the term ``window'' for this, |
526 | but in Emacs a window means something else. | |
527 | ||
07ee224d GM |
528 | @item Free Software |
529 | Free software is software that gives you the freedom to share, study | |
530 | and modify it. Emacs is free software, part of the GNU project | |
531 | (q.v.@:), and distributed under a copyleft (q.v.@:) license called the | |
532 | GNU General Public License. @xref{Copying}. | |
533 | ||
534 | @item Free Software Foundation | |
535 | The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a charitable foundation | |
536 | dedicated to promoting the development of free software (q.v.@:). | |
537 | For more information, see @uref{http://fsf.org/, the FSF website}. | |
538 | ||
8cf51b2c | 539 | @item Fringe |
07ee224d GM |
540 | On a graphical display (q.v.@:), there's a narrow portion of the frame |
541 | (q.v.@:) between the text area and the window's border. These | |
542 | `fringes' are used to display symbols that provide information about | |
543 | the buffer text (@pxref{Fringes}). Emacs displays the fringe using a | |
544 | special face (q.v.@:) called @code{fringe}. @xref{Faces,fringe}. | |
545 | ||
546 | @item FSF | |
547 | See `Free Software Foundation.' | |
8cf51b2c GM |
548 | |
549 | @item FTP | |
07ee224d GM |
550 | FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol. This is one standard |
551 | method for retrieving remote files (q.v.@:). | |
8cf51b2c GM |
552 | |
553 | @item Function Key | |
554 | A function key is a key on the keyboard that sends input but does not | |
555 | correspond to any character. @xref{Function Keys}. | |
556 | ||
557 | @item Global | |
558 | Global means ``independent of the current environment; in effect | |
559 | throughout Emacs.'' It is the opposite of local (q.v.@:). Particular | |
560 | examples of the use of `global' appear below. | |
561 | ||
562 | @item Global Abbrev | |
563 | A global definition of an abbrev (q.v.@:) is effective in all major | |
564 | modes that do not have local (q.v.@:) definitions for the same abbrev. | |
565 | @xref{Abbrevs}. | |
566 | ||
567 | @item Global Keymap | |
568 | The global keymap (q.v.@:) contains key bindings that are in effect | |
07ee224d GM |
569 | everywhere, except when overridden by local key bindings in a major |
570 | mode's local keymap (q.v.@:). @xref{Keymaps}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
571 | |
572 | @item Global Mark Ring | |
573 | The global mark ring records the series of buffers you have recently | |
574 | set a mark (q.v.@:) in. In many cases you can use this to backtrack | |
07ee224d | 575 | through buffers you have been editing, or in which you have found |
8cf51b2c GM |
576 | tags (see `tags table'). @xref{Global Mark Ring}. |
577 | ||
578 | @item Global Substitution | |
579 | Global substitution means replacing each occurrence of one string by | |
580 | another string throughout a large amount of text. @xref{Replace}. | |
581 | ||
582 | @item Global Variable | |
583 | The global value of a variable (q.v.@:) takes effect in all buffers | |
584 | that do not have their own local (q.v.@:) values for the variable. | |
585 | @xref{Variables}. | |
586 | ||
07ee224d | 587 | @item GNU |
bd8aaa36 RS |
588 | GNU is a recursive acronym for GNU's Not Unix, and it refers to a |
589 | Unix-compatible operating system which is free software (q.v.@:). | |
590 | @xref{Manifesto}. GNU is normally used with Linux as the kernel since | |
591 | Linux works better than the GNU kernel. For more information, see | |
07ee224d GM |
592 | @uref{http://www.gnu.org/, the GNU website}. |
593 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
594 | @item Graphic Character |
595 | Graphic characters are those assigned pictorial images rather than | |
596 | just names. All the non-Meta (q.v.@:) characters except for the | |
597 | Control (q.v.@:) characters are graphic characters. These include | |
598 | letters, digits, punctuation, and spaces; they do not include | |
599 | @key{RET} or @key{ESC}. In Emacs, typing a graphic character inserts | |
600 | that character (in ordinary editing modes). @xref{Inserting Text}. | |
601 | ||
602 | @item Graphical Display | |
603 | A graphical display is one that can display images and multiple fonts. | |
604 | Usually it also has a window system (q.v.@:). | |
605 | ||
606 | @item Highlighting | |
607 | Highlighting text means displaying it with a different foreground and/or | |
608 | background color to make it stand out from the rest of the text in the | |
609 | buffer. | |
610 | ||
c8388862 CY |
611 | Emacs uses highlighting in several ways. It highlights the region |
612 | whenever it is active (@pxref{Mark}). Incremental search also | |
07ee224d | 613 | highlights matches (@pxref{Incremental Search}). See also `font lock.' |
8cf51b2c GM |
614 | |
615 | @item Hardcopy | |
07ee224d GM |
616 | Hardcopy means printed output. Emacs has various commands for |
617 | printing the contents of Emacs buffers. @xref{Printing}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
618 | |
619 | @item @key{HELP} | |
620 | @key{HELP} is the Emacs name for @kbd{C-h} or @key{F1}. You can type | |
621 | @key{HELP} at any time to ask what options you have, or to ask what any | |
622 | command does. @xref{Help}. | |
623 | ||
624 | @item Help Echo | |
07ee224d GM |
625 | Help echo is a short message displayed in the echo area (q.v.@:) when |
626 | the mouse pointer is located on portions of display that require some | |
8cf51b2c GM |
627 | explanations. Emacs displays help echo for menu items, parts of the |
628 | mode line, tool-bar buttons, etc. On graphics displays, the messages | |
629 | can be displayed as tooltips (q.v.@:). @xref{Tooltips}. | |
630 | ||
07ee224d GM |
631 | @item Home Directory |
632 | Your home directory contains your personal files. On a multi-user GNU | |
633 | or Unix system, each user has his or her own home directory. When you | |
634 | start a new login session, your home directory is the default | |
635 | directory in which to start. A standard shorthand for your home | |
636 | directory is @samp{~}. Similarly, @samp{~@var{user}} represents the | |
637 | home directory of some other user. | |
638 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
639 | @item Hook |
640 | A hook is a list of functions to be called on specific occasions, such | |
641 | as saving a buffer in a file, major mode activation, etc. By | |
642 | customizing the various hooks, you can modify Emacs's behavior without | |
643 | changing any of its code. @xref{Hooks}. | |
644 | ||
645 | @item Hyper | |
07ee224d | 646 | Hyper is the name of a modifier bit that a keyboard input character may |
8cf51b2c GM |
647 | have. To make a character Hyper, type it while holding down the |
648 | @key{HYPER} key. Such characters are given names that start with | |
07ee224d | 649 | @kbd{Hyper-} (usually written @kbd{H-} for short). @xref{User Input}. |
8cf51b2c GM |
650 | |
651 | @item Iff | |
652 | ``Iff'' means ``if and only if.'' This terminology comes from | |
653 | mathematics. Try to avoid using this term in documentation, since | |
654 | many are unfamiliar with it and mistake it for a typo. | |
655 | ||
656 | @item Inbox | |
657 | An inbox is a file in which mail is delivered by the operating system. | |
658 | Rmail transfers mail from inboxes to Rmail files (q.v.@:) in which the | |
659 | mail is then stored permanently or until explicitly deleted. | |
660 | @xref{Rmail Inbox}. | |
661 | ||
662 | @item Incremental Search | |
07ee224d GM |
663 | Emacs provides an incremental search facility, whereby Emacs begins |
664 | searching for a string as soon as you type the first character. | |
665 | As you type more characters, it refines the search. @xref{Incremental Search}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
666 | |
667 | @item Indentation | |
668 | Indentation means blank space at the beginning of a line. Most | |
669 | programming languages have conventions for using indentation to | |
670 | illuminate the structure of the program, and Emacs has special | |
671 | commands to adjust indentation. | |
672 | @xref{Indentation}. | |
673 | ||
674 | @item Indirect Buffer | |
675 | An indirect buffer is a buffer that shares the text of another buffer, | |
676 | called its base buffer (q.v.@:). @xref{Indirect Buffers}. | |
677 | ||
678 | @item Info | |
679 | Info is the hypertext format used by the GNU project for writing | |
680 | documentation. | |
681 | ||
682 | @item Input Event | |
683 | An input event represents, within Emacs, one action taken by the user on | |
684 | the terminal. Input events include typing characters, typing function | |
685 | keys, pressing or releasing mouse buttons, and switching between Emacs | |
686 | frames. @xref{User Input}. | |
687 | ||
688 | @item Input Method | |
689 | An input method is a system for entering non-@acronym{ASCII} text characters by | |
690 | typing sequences of @acronym{ASCII} characters (q.v.@:). @xref{Input Methods}. | |
691 | ||
692 | @item Insertion | |
07ee224d | 693 | Insertion means adding text into the buffer, either from the keyboard |
8cf51b2c GM |
694 | or from some other place in Emacs. |
695 | ||
696 | @item Interlocking | |
697 | Interlocking is a feature for warning when you start to alter a file | |
698 | that someone else is already editing. | |
699 | @xref{Interlocking,Interlocking,Simultaneous Editing}. | |
700 | ||
701 | @item Isearch | |
702 | See `incremental search.' | |
703 | ||
704 | @item Justification | |
07ee224d GM |
705 | Justification means adding extra spaces within lines of text |
706 | in order to adjust the position of the text edges. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
707 | @xref{Format Justification}. |
708 | ||
5a331f34 | 709 | @item Key Binding |
8cf51b2c GM |
710 | See `binding.' |
711 | ||
712 | @item Keyboard Macro | |
713 | Keyboard macros are a way of defining new Emacs commands from | |
714 | sequences of existing ones, with no need to write a Lisp program. | |
07ee224d GM |
715 | You can use a macro to record a sequence of commands, then |
716 | play them back as many times as you like. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
717 | @xref{Keyboard Macros}. |
718 | ||
719 | @cindex keyboard shortcuts | |
720 | @item Keyboard Shortcut | |
721 | A keyboard shortcut is a key sequence (q.v.@:) which invokes a | |
722 | command. What some programs call ``assigning a keyboard shortcut,'' | |
723 | Emacs calls ``binding a key sequence.'' See `binding.' | |
724 | ||
725 | @item Key Sequence | |
726 | A key sequence (key, for short) is a sequence of input events (q.v.@:) | |
727 | that are meaningful as a single unit. If the key sequence is enough to | |
728 | specify one action, it is a complete key (q.v.@:); if it is not enough, | |
729 | it is a prefix key (q.v.@:). @xref{Keys}. | |
730 | ||
731 | @item Keymap | |
732 | The keymap is the data structure that records the bindings (q.v.@:) of | |
733 | key sequences to the commands that they run. For example, the global | |
734 | keymap binds the character @kbd{C-n} to the command function | |
735 | @code{next-line}. @xref{Keymaps}. | |
736 | ||
737 | @item Keyboard Translation Table | |
738 | The keyboard translation table is an array that translates the character | |
739 | codes that come from the terminal into the character codes that make up | |
740 | key sequences. | |
741 | ||
742 | @item Kill Ring | |
743 | The kill ring is where all text you have killed recently is saved. | |
744 | You can reinsert any of the killed text still in the ring; this is | |
745 | called yanking (q.v.@:). @xref{Yanking}. | |
746 | ||
747 | @item Killing | |
748 | Killing means erasing text and saving it on the kill ring so it can be | |
749 | yanked (q.v.@:) later. Some other systems call this ``cutting.'' | |
750 | Most Emacs commands that erase text perform killing, as opposed to | |
751 | deletion (q.v.@:). @xref{Killing}. | |
752 | ||
753 | @item Killing a Job | |
754 | Killing a job (such as, an invocation of Emacs) means making it cease | |
755 | to exist. Any data within it, if not saved in a file, is lost. | |
756 | @xref{Exiting}. | |
757 | ||
758 | @item Language Environment | |
759 | Your choice of language environment specifies defaults for the input | |
760 | method (q.v.@:) and coding system (q.v.@:). @xref{Language | |
07ee224d GM |
761 | Environments}. These defaults are relevant if you edit |
762 | non-@acronym{ASCII} text (@pxref{International}). | |
8cf51b2c GM |
763 | |
764 | @item Line Wrapping | |
765 | See `filling.' | |
766 | ||
767 | @item Lisp | |
768 | Lisp is a programming language. Most of Emacs is written in a dialect | |
07ee224d | 769 | of Lisp, called Emacs Lisp, which is extended with special features that |
8cf51b2c GM |
770 | make it especially suitable for text editing tasks. |
771 | ||
772 | @item List | |
773 | A list is, approximately, a text string beginning with an open | |
774 | parenthesis and ending with the matching close parenthesis. In C mode | |
775 | and other non-Lisp modes, groupings surrounded by other kinds of matched | |
776 | delimiters appropriate to the language, such as braces, are also | |
777 | considered lists. Emacs has special commands for many operations on | |
778 | lists. @xref{Moving by Parens}. | |
779 | ||
780 | @item Local | |
781 | Local means ``in effect only in a particular context''; the relevant | |
782 | kind of context is a particular function execution, a particular | |
783 | buffer, or a particular major mode. It is the opposite of `global' | |
784 | (q.v.@:). Specific uses of `local' in Emacs terminology appear below. | |
785 | ||
786 | @item Local Abbrev | |
787 | A local abbrev definition is effective only if a particular major mode | |
788 | is selected. In that major mode, it overrides any global definition | |
789 | for the same abbrev. @xref{Abbrevs}. | |
790 | ||
791 | @item Local Keymap | |
792 | A local keymap is used in a particular major mode; the key bindings | |
793 | (q.v.@:) in the current local keymap override global bindings of the | |
794 | same key sequences. @xref{Keymaps}. | |
795 | ||
796 | @item Local Variable | |
797 | A local value of a variable (q.v.@:) applies to only one buffer. | |
798 | @xref{Locals}. | |
799 | ||
800 | @item @kbd{M-} | |
801 | @kbd{M-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for @key{META}, | |
802 | one of the modifier keys that can accompany any character. | |
803 | @xref{User Input,M-}. | |
804 | ||
805 | @item @kbd{M-C-} | |
806 | @kbd{M-C-} in the name of a character is an abbreviation for | |
07ee224d | 807 | Control-Meta; it means the same thing as `@kbd{C-M-}' (q.v.@:). |
8cf51b2c GM |
808 | |
809 | @item @kbd{M-x} | |
07ee224d | 810 | @kbd{M-x} is the key sequence that is used to call an Emacs command by |
8cf51b2c GM |
811 | name. This is how you run commands that are not bound to key sequences. |
812 | @xref{M-x,M-x,Running Commands by Name}. | |
813 | ||
814 | @item Mail | |
815 | Mail means messages sent from one user to another through the computer | |
816 | system, to be read at the recipient's convenience. Emacs has commands for | |
817 | composing and sending mail, and for reading and editing the mail you have | |
07ee224d GM |
818 | received. @xref{Sending Mail}. @xref{Rmail}, for one way to read |
819 | mail with Emacs. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
820 | |
821 | @item Mail Composition Method | |
822 | A mail composition method is a program runnable within Emacs for editing | |
823 | and sending a mail message. Emacs lets you select from several | |
824 | alternative mail composition methods. @xref{Mail Methods}. | |
825 | ||
826 | @item Major Mode | |
827 | The Emacs major modes are a mutually exclusive set of options, each of | |
828 | which configures Emacs for editing a certain sort of text. Ideally, | |
829 | each programming language has its own major mode. @xref{Major Modes}. | |
830 | ||
831 | @item Margin | |
832 | The space between the usable part of a window (including the | |
833 | fringe) and the window edge. | |
834 | ||
835 | @item Mark | |
836 | The mark points to a position in the text. It specifies one end of the | |
837 | region (q.v.@:), point being the other end. Many commands operate on | |
838 | all the text from point to the mark. Each buffer has its own mark. | |
839 | @xref{Mark}. | |
840 | ||
841 | @item Mark Ring | |
842 | The mark ring is used to hold several recent previous locations of the | |
843 | mark, just in case you want to move back to them. Each buffer has its | |
844 | own mark ring; in addition, there is a single global mark ring (q.v.@:). | |
845 | @xref{Mark Ring}. | |
846 | ||
847 | @item Menu Bar | |
07ee224d | 848 | The menu bar is a line at the top of an Emacs frame. It contains |
8cf51b2c GM |
849 | words you can click on with the mouse to bring up menus, or you can use |
850 | a keyboard interface to navigate it. @xref{Menu Bars}. | |
851 | ||
852 | @item Message | |
853 | See `mail.' | |
854 | ||
855 | @item Meta | |
856 | Meta is the name of a modifier bit which you can use in a command | |
857 | character. To enter a meta character, you hold down the @key{META} | |
858 | key while typing the character. We refer to such characters with | |
859 | names that start with @kbd{Meta-} (usually written @kbd{M-} for | |
860 | short). For example, @kbd{M-<} is typed by holding down @key{META} | |
861 | and at the same time typing @kbd{<} (which itself is done, on most | |
862 | terminals, by holding down @key{SHIFT} and typing @kbd{,}). | |
863 | @xref{User Input,Meta}. | |
864 | ||
865 | On some terminals, the @key{META} key is actually labeled @key{ALT} | |
866 | or @key{EDIT}. | |
867 | ||
868 | @item Meta Character | |
869 | A Meta character is one whose character code includes the Meta bit. | |
870 | ||
871 | @item Minibuffer | |
872 | The minibuffer is the window that appears when necessary inside the | |
873 | echo area (q.v.@:), used for reading arguments to commands. | |
874 | @xref{Minibuffer}. | |
875 | ||
876 | @item Minibuffer History | |
877 | The minibuffer history records the text you have specified in the past | |
878 | for minibuffer arguments, so you can conveniently use the same text | |
879 | again. @xref{Minibuffer History}. | |
880 | ||
881 | @item Minor Mode | |
882 | A minor mode is an optional feature of Emacs which can be switched on | |
883 | or off independently of all other features. Each minor mode has a | |
07ee224d GM |
884 | command to turn it on or off. Some minor modes are global (q.v.@:), |
885 | and some are local (q.v.@:). @xref{Minor Modes}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
886 | |
887 | @item Minor Mode Keymap | |
888 | A minor mode keymap is a keymap that belongs to a minor mode and is | |
889 | active when that mode is enabled. Minor mode keymaps take precedence | |
890 | over the buffer's local keymap, just as the local keymap takes | |
891 | precedence over the global keymap. @xref{Keymaps}. | |
892 | ||
893 | @item Mode Line | |
894 | The mode line is the line at the bottom of each window (q.v.@:), giving | |
895 | status information on the buffer displayed in that window. @xref{Mode | |
896 | Line}. | |
897 | ||
898 | @item Modified Buffer | |
899 | A buffer (q.v.@:) is modified if its text has been changed since the | |
07ee224d | 900 | last time the buffer was saved (or since it was created, if it |
8cf51b2c GM |
901 | has never been saved). @xref{Saving}. |
902 | ||
903 | @item Moving Text | |
904 | Moving text means erasing it from one place and inserting it in | |
905 | another. The usual way to move text is by killing (q.v.@:) it and then | |
906 | yanking (q.v.@:) it. @xref{Killing}. | |
907 | ||
908 | @item MULE | |
07ee224d GM |
909 | MULE refers to the Emacs features for editing multilingual |
910 | non-@acronym{ASCII} text using multibyte characters (q.v.@:). | |
911 | @xref{International}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
912 | |
913 | @item Multibyte Character | |
914 | A multibyte character is a character that takes up several bytes in a | |
915 | buffer. Emacs uses multibyte characters to represent non-@acronym{ASCII} text, | |
916 | since the number of non-@acronym{ASCII} characters is much more than 256. | |
917 | @xref{International Chars, International Characters}. | |
918 | ||
919 | @item Named Mark | |
920 | A named mark is a register (q.v.@:) in its role of recording a | |
921 | location in text so that you can move point to that location. | |
922 | @xref{Registers}. | |
923 | ||
924 | @item Narrowing | |
925 | Narrowing means creating a restriction (q.v.@:) that limits editing in | |
07ee224d GM |
926 | the current buffer to only a part of the text. Text outside that part |
927 | is inaccessible for editing (or viewing) until the boundaries are | |
8cf51b2c GM |
928 | widened again, but it is still there, and saving the file saves it |
929 | all. @xref{Narrowing}. | |
930 | ||
931 | @item Newline | |
932 | Control-J characters in the buffer terminate lines of text and are | |
07ee224d | 933 | therefore also called newlines. See `End of Line.' |
8cf51b2c GM |
934 | |
935 | @cindex nil | |
936 | @cindex t | |
937 | @item @code{nil} | |
938 | @code{nil} is a value usually interpreted as a logical ``false.'' Its | |
939 | opposite is @code{t}, interpreted as ``true.'' | |
940 | ||
941 | @item Numeric Argument | |
942 | A numeric argument is a number, specified before a command, to change | |
943 | the effect of the command. Often the numeric argument serves as a | |
944 | repeat count. @xref{Arguments}. | |
945 | ||
946 | @item Overwrite Mode | |
947 | Overwrite mode is a minor mode. When it is enabled, ordinary text | |
948 | characters replace the existing text after point rather than pushing | |
949 | it to the right. @xref{Minor Modes}. | |
950 | ||
951 | @item Page | |
952 | A page is a unit of text, delimited by formfeed characters (@acronym{ASCII} | |
953 | control-L, code 014) coming at the beginning of a line. Some Emacs | |
954 | commands are provided for moving over and operating on pages. | |
955 | @xref{Pages}. | |
956 | ||
957 | @item Paragraph | |
958 | Paragraphs are the medium-size unit of human-language text. There are | |
959 | special Emacs commands for moving over and operating on paragraphs. | |
960 | @xref{Paragraphs}. | |
961 | ||
962 | @item Parsing | |
963 | We say that certain Emacs commands parse words or expressions in the | |
964 | text being edited. Really, all they know how to do is find the other | |
965 | end of a word or expression. @xref{Syntax}. | |
966 | ||
967 | @item Point | |
968 | Point is the place in the buffer at which insertion and deletion | |
969 | occur. Point is considered to be between two characters, not at one | |
970 | character. The terminal's cursor (q.v.@:) indicates the location of | |
971 | point. @xref{Point}. | |
972 | ||
973 | @item Prefix Argument | |
974 | See `numeric argument.' | |
975 | ||
976 | @item Prefix Key | |
977 | A prefix key is a key sequence (q.v.@:) whose sole function is to | |
978 | introduce a set of longer key sequences. @kbd{C-x} is an example of | |
979 | prefix key; any two-character sequence starting with @kbd{C-x} is | |
980 | therefore a legitimate key sequence. @xref{Keys}. | |
981 | ||
982 | @item Primary Rmail File | |
983 | Your primary Rmail file is the file named @samp{RMAIL} in your home | |
984 | directory. That's where Rmail stores your incoming mail, unless you | |
985 | specify a different file name. @xref{Rmail}. | |
986 | ||
987 | @item Primary Selection | |
988 | The primary selection is one particular X selection (q.v.@:); it is the | |
989 | selection that most X applications use for transferring text to and from | |
990 | other applications. | |
991 | ||
992 | The Emacs kill commands set the primary selection and the yank command | |
993 | uses the primary selection when appropriate. @xref{Killing}. | |
994 | ||
995 | @item Prompt | |
07ee224d | 996 | A prompt is text used to ask you for input. Displaying a prompt |
8cf51b2c GM |
997 | is called prompting. Emacs prompts always appear in the echo area |
998 | (q.v.@:). One kind of prompting happens when the minibuffer is used to | |
07ee224d | 999 | read an argument (@pxref{Minibuffer}); the echoing that happens when |
8cf51b2c GM |
1000 | you pause in the middle of typing a multi-character key sequence is also |
1001 | a kind of prompting (@pxref{Echo Area}). | |
1002 | ||
1003 | @item Query-Replace | |
1004 | Query-replace is an interactive string replacement feature provided by | |
1005 | Emacs. @xref{Query Replace}. | |
1006 | ||
1007 | @item Quitting | |
1008 | Quitting means canceling a partially typed command or a running | |
1009 | command, using @kbd{C-g} (or @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} on MS-DOS). @xref{Quitting}. | |
1010 | ||
1011 | @item Quoting | |
1012 | Quoting means depriving a character of its usual special significance. | |
1013 | The most common kind of quoting in Emacs is with @kbd{C-q}. What | |
1014 | constitutes special significance depends on the context and on | |
1015 | convention. For example, an ``ordinary'' character as an Emacs command | |
1016 | inserts itself; so in this context, a special character is any character | |
1017 | that does not normally insert itself (such as @key{DEL}, for example), | |
1018 | and quoting it makes it insert itself as if it were not special. Not | |
1019 | all contexts allow quoting. @xref{Inserting Text,Quoting}. | |
1020 | ||
1021 | @item Quoting File Names | |
1022 | Quoting a file name turns off the special significance of constructs | |
1023 | such as @samp{$}, @samp{~} and @samp{:}. @xref{Quoted File Names}. | |
1024 | ||
1025 | @item Read-Only Buffer | |
1026 | A read-only buffer is one whose text you are not allowed to change. | |
1027 | Normally Emacs makes buffers read-only when they contain text which | |
1028 | has a special significance to Emacs; for example, Dired buffers. | |
1029 | Visiting a file that is write-protected also makes a read-only buffer. | |
1030 | @xref{Buffers}. | |
1031 | ||
1032 | @item Rectangle | |
1033 | A rectangle consists of the text in a given range of columns on a given | |
1034 | range of lines. Normally you specify a rectangle by putting point at | |
1035 | one corner and putting the mark at the diagonally opposite corner. | |
1036 | @xref{Rectangles}. | |
1037 | ||
1038 | @item Recursive Editing Level | |
1039 | A recursive editing level is a state in which part of the execution of | |
1040 | a command involves asking you to edit some text. This text may | |
1041 | or may not be the same as the text to which the command was applied. | |
1042 | The mode line indicates recursive editing levels with square brackets | |
1043 | (@samp{[} and @samp{]}). @xref{Recursive Edit}. | |
1044 | ||
1045 | @item Redisplay | |
1046 | Redisplay is the process of correcting the image on the screen to | |
1047 | correspond to changes that have been made in the text being edited. | |
1048 | @xref{Screen,Redisplay}. | |
1049 | ||
1050 | @item Regexp | |
1051 | See `regular expression.' | |
1052 | ||
1053 | @item Region | |
1054 | The region is the text between point (q.v.@:) and the mark (q.v.@:). | |
1055 | Many commands operate on the text of the region. @xref{Mark,Region}. | |
1056 | ||
1057 | @item Register | |
07ee224d | 1058 | Registers are named slots in which text, buffer positions, or |
8cf51b2c GM |
1059 | rectangles can be saved for later use. @xref{Registers}. A related |
1060 | Emacs feature is `bookmarks' (q.v.@:). | |
1061 | ||
1062 | @item Regular Expression | |
1063 | A regular expression is a pattern that can match various text strings; | |
1064 | for example, @samp{a[0-9]+} matches @samp{a} followed by one or more | |
1065 | digits. @xref{Regexps}. | |
1066 | ||
1067 | @item Remote File | |
1068 | A remote file is a file that is stored on a system other than your own. | |
1069 | Emacs can access files on other computers provided that they are | |
1070 | connected to the same network as your machine, and (obviously) that | |
1071 | you have a supported method to gain access to those files. | |
1072 | @xref{Remote Files}. | |
1073 | ||
1074 | @item Repeat Count | |
1075 | See `numeric argument.' | |
1076 | ||
1077 | @item Replacement | |
1078 | See `global substitution.' | |
1079 | ||
1080 | @item Restriction | |
1081 | A buffer's restriction is the amount of text, at the beginning or the | |
1082 | end of the buffer, that is temporarily inaccessible. Giving a buffer a | |
1083 | nonzero amount of restriction is called narrowing (q.v.@:); removing | |
1084 | a restriction is called widening (q.v.@:). @xref{Narrowing}. | |
1085 | ||
1086 | @item @key{RET} | |
1087 | @key{RET} is a character that in Emacs runs the command to insert a | |
1088 | newline into the text. It is also used to terminate most arguments | |
1089 | read in the minibuffer (q.v.@:). @xref{User Input,Return}. | |
1090 | ||
1091 | @item Reverting | |
1092 | Reverting means returning to the original state. Emacs lets you | |
1093 | revert a buffer by re-reading its file from disk. @xref{Reverting}. | |
1094 | ||
1095 | @item Rmail File | |
07ee224d | 1096 | An Rmail file is a file containing text in the format used by |
8cf51b2c GM |
1097 | Rmail for storing mail. @xref{Rmail}. |
1098 | ||
1099 | @item Saving | |
1100 | Saving a buffer means copying its text into the file that was visited | |
1101 | (q.v.@:) in that buffer. This is the way text in files actually gets | |
1102 | changed by your Emacs editing. @xref{Saving}. | |
1103 | ||
1104 | @item Scroll Bar | |
1105 | A scroll bar is a tall thin hollow box that appears at the side of a | |
1106 | window. You can use mouse commands in the scroll bar to scroll the | |
1107 | window. The scroll bar feature is supported only under windowing | |
1108 | systems. @xref{Scroll Bars}. | |
1109 | ||
1110 | @item Scrolling | |
1111 | Scrolling means shifting the text in the Emacs window so as to see a | |
1112 | different part of the buffer. @xref{Scrolling}. | |
1113 | ||
1114 | @item Searching | |
1115 | Searching means moving point to the next occurrence of a specified | |
1116 | string or the next match for a specified regular expression. | |
1117 | @xref{Search}. | |
1118 | ||
1119 | @item Search Path | |
1120 | A search path is a list of directory names, to be used for searching for | |
1121 | files for certain purposes. For example, the variable @code{load-path} | |
1122 | holds a search path for finding Lisp library files. @xref{Lisp Libraries}. | |
1123 | ||
1124 | @item Secondary Selection | |
07ee224d | 1125 | The secondary selection is one particular X selection (q.v.@:); some X |
8cf51b2c GM |
1126 | applications can use it for transferring text to and from other |
1127 | applications. Emacs has special mouse commands for transferring text | |
1128 | using the secondary selection. @xref{Secondary Selection}. | |
1129 | ||
1130 | @item Selected Frame | |
1131 | The selected frame is the one your input currently operates on. | |
1132 | @xref{Frames}. | |
1133 | ||
1134 | @item Selected Window | |
8dc17977 | 1135 | The selected window is the one your input currently operates on. |
8cf51b2c GM |
1136 | @xref{Basic Window}. |
1137 | ||
1138 | @item Selecting a Buffer | |
1139 | Selecting a buffer means making it the current (q.v.@:) buffer. | |
1140 | @xref{Select Buffer}. | |
1141 | ||
1142 | @item Selection | |
1143 | Windowing systems allow an application program to specify | |
1144 | selections whose values are text. A program can also read the | |
1145 | selections that other programs have set up. This is the principal way | |
1146 | of transferring text between window applications. Emacs has commands to | |
1147 | work with the primary (q.v.@:) selection and the secondary (q.v.@:) | |
1148 | selection, and also with the clipboard (q.v.@:). | |
1149 | ||
1150 | @item Self-Documentation | |
07ee224d | 1151 | Self-documentation is the feature of Emacs that can tell you what any |
8cf51b2c GM |
1152 | command does, or give you a list of all commands related to a topic |
1153 | you specify. You ask for self-documentation with the help character, | |
1154 | @kbd{C-h}. @xref{Help}. | |
1155 | ||
1156 | @item Self-Inserting Character | |
1157 | A character is self-inserting if typing that character inserts that | |
1158 | character in the buffer. Ordinary printing and whitespace characters | |
1159 | are self-inserting in Emacs, except in certain special major modes. | |
1160 | ||
1161 | @item Sentences | |
1162 | Emacs has commands for moving by or killing by sentences. | |
1163 | @xref{Sentences}. | |
1164 | ||
1165 | @item Sexp | |
1166 | A sexp (short for ``s-expression'') is the basic syntactic unit of | |
1167 | Lisp in its textual form: either a list, or Lisp atom. Sexps are also | |
1168 | the balanced expressions (q.v.@:) of the Lisp language; this is why | |
1169 | the commands for editing balanced expressions have `sexp' in their | |
1170 | name. @xref{Expressions,Sexps}. | |
1171 | ||
1172 | @item Simultaneous Editing | |
1173 | Simultaneous editing means two users modifying the same file at once. | |
1174 | Simultaneous editing, if not detected, can cause one user to lose his | |
1175 | or her work. Emacs detects all cases of simultaneous editing, and | |
1176 | warns one of the users to investigate. | |
1177 | @xref{Interlocking,Interlocking,Simultaneous Editing}. | |
1178 | ||
1179 | @item @key{SPC} | |
1180 | @key{SPC} is the space character, which you enter by pressing the | |
1181 | space bar. | |
1182 | ||
1183 | @item Speedbar | |
1184 | The speedbar is a special tall frame that provides fast access to Emacs | |
1185 | buffers, functions within those buffers, Info nodes, and other | |
1186 | interesting parts of text within Emacs. @xref{Speedbar}. | |
1187 | ||
1188 | @item Spell Checking | |
1189 | Spell checking means checking correctness of the written form of each | |
07ee224d GM |
1190 | one of the words in a text. Emacs can use various external |
1191 | spelling-checker programs to check the spelling of parts of a buffer | |
1192 | via a convenient user interface. @xref{Spelling}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1193 | |
1194 | @item String | |
1195 | A string is a kind of Lisp data object which contains a sequence of | |
1196 | characters. Many Emacs variables are intended to have strings as | |
1197 | values. The Lisp syntax for a string consists of the characters in the | |
1198 | string with a @samp{"} before and another @samp{"} after. A @samp{"} | |
1199 | that is part of the string must be written as @samp{\"} and a @samp{\} | |
1200 | that is part of the string must be written as @samp{\\}. All other | |
1201 | characters, including newline, can be included just by writing them | |
1202 | inside the string; however, backslash sequences as in C, such as | |
1203 | @samp{\n} for newline or @samp{\241} using an octal character code, are | |
1204 | allowed as well. | |
1205 | ||
1206 | @item String Substitution | |
07ee224d | 1207 | See `global substitution.' |
8cf51b2c GM |
1208 | |
1209 | @item Syntax Highlighting | |
1210 | See `font lock.' | |
1211 | ||
1212 | @item Syntax Table | |
1213 | The syntax table tells Emacs which characters are part of a word, | |
1214 | which characters balance each other like parentheses, etc. | |
1215 | @xref{Syntax}. | |
1216 | ||
1217 | @item Super | |
07ee224d | 1218 | Super is the name of a modifier bit that a keyboard input character may |
8cf51b2c GM |
1219 | have. To make a character Super, type it while holding down the |
1220 | @key{SUPER} key. Such characters are given names that start with | |
07ee224d | 1221 | @kbd{Super-} (usually written @kbd{s-} for short). @xref{User Input}. |
8cf51b2c GM |
1222 | |
1223 | @item Suspending | |
1224 | Suspending Emacs means stopping it temporarily and returning control | |
1225 | to its parent process, which is usually a shell. Unlike killing a job | |
1226 | (q.v.@:), you can later resume the suspended Emacs job without losing | |
1227 | your buffers, unsaved edits, undo history, etc. @xref{Exiting}. | |
1228 | ||
1229 | @item @key{TAB} | |
1230 | @key{TAB} is the tab character. In Emacs it is typically used for | |
1231 | indentation or completion. | |
1232 | ||
1233 | @item Tags Table | |
1234 | A tags table is a file that serves as an index to the function | |
1235 | definitions in one or more other files. @xref{Tags}. | |
1236 | ||
1237 | @item Termscript File | |
1238 | A termscript file contains a record of all characters sent by Emacs to | |
1239 | the terminal. It is used for tracking down bugs in Emacs redisplay. | |
1240 | Emacs does not make a termscript file unless you tell it to. | |
1241 | @xref{Bugs}. | |
1242 | ||
1243 | @item Text | |
1244 | `Text' has two meanings (@pxref{Text}): | |
1245 | ||
1246 | @itemize @bullet | |
1247 | @item | |
1248 | Data consisting of a sequence of characters, as opposed to binary | |
1249 | numbers, executable programs, and the like. The basic contents of an | |
1250 | Emacs buffer (aside from the text properties, q.v.@:) are always text | |
1251 | in this sense. | |
1252 | @item | |
07ee224d | 1253 | Data consisting of written human language (as opposed to programs), |
8cf51b2c GM |
1254 | or following the stylistic conventions of human language. |
1255 | @end itemize | |
1256 | ||
1257 | @item Text-only Terminal | |
1258 | A text-only terminal is a display that is limited to displaying text in | |
1259 | character units. Such a terminal cannot control individual pixels it | |
1260 | displays. Emacs supports a subset of display features on text-only | |
1261 | terminals. | |
1262 | ||
1263 | @item Text Properties | |
1264 | Text properties are annotations recorded for particular characters in | |
1265 | the buffer. Images in the buffer are recorded as text properties; | |
1266 | they also specify formatting information. @xref{Editing Format Info}. | |
1267 | ||
1268 | @item Tool Bar | |
1269 | The tool bar is a line (sometimes multiple lines) of icons at the top | |
1270 | of an Emacs frame. Clicking on one of these icons executes a command. | |
1271 | You can think of this as a graphical relative of the menu bar (q.v.@:). | |
1272 | @xref{Tool Bars}. | |
1273 | ||
1274 | @item Tooltips | |
07ee224d | 1275 | Tooltips are small windows displaying a help echo (q.v.@:) text, which |
8cf51b2c GM |
1276 | explains parts of the display, lists useful options available via mouse |
1277 | clicks, etc. @xref{Tooltips}. | |
1278 | ||
1279 | @item Top Level | |
1280 | Top level is the normal state of Emacs, in which you are editing the | |
1281 | text of the file you have visited. You are at top level whenever you | |
1282 | are not in a recursive editing level (q.v.@:) or the minibuffer | |
1283 | (q.v.@:), and not in the middle of a command. You can get back to top | |
1284 | level by aborting (q.v.@:) and quitting (q.v.@:). @xref{Quitting}. | |
1285 | ||
1286 | @item Transposition | |
1287 | Transposing two units of text means putting each one into the place | |
1288 | formerly occupied by the other. There are Emacs commands to transpose | |
1289 | two adjacent characters, words, balanced expressions (q.v.@:) or lines | |
1290 | (@pxref{Transpose}). | |
1291 | ||
1292 | @item Truncation | |
1293 | Truncating text lines in the display means leaving out any text on a | |
1294 | line that does not fit within the right margin of the window | |
1295 | displaying it. See also `continuation line.' | |
1296 | @xref{Continuation Lines,Truncation}. | |
1297 | ||
1298 | @item TTY | |
1299 | See `text-only terminal.' | |
1300 | ||
1301 | @item Undoing | |
1302 | Undoing means making your previous editing go in reverse, bringing | |
1303 | back the text that existed earlier in the editing session. | |
1304 | @xref{Undo}. | |
1305 | ||
07ee224d GM |
1306 | @item Unix |
1307 | Unix is a class of multi-user computer operating systems with a long | |
1308 | history. There are several implementations today. The GNU project | |
1309 | (q.v.@:) aims to develop a complete Unix-like operating system that | |
1310 | is free software (q.v.@:). | |
1311 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
1312 | @item User Option |
1313 | A user option is a face (q.v.@:) or a variable (q.v.@:) that exists so | |
1314 | that you can customize Emacs by setting it to a new value. | |
1315 | @xref{Easy Customization}. | |
1316 | ||
1317 | @item Variable | |
1318 | A variable is an object in Lisp that can store an arbitrary value. | |
1319 | Emacs uses some variables for internal purposes, and has others (known | |
07ee224d | 1320 | as `user options'; q.v.@:) just so that you can set their values to |
8cf51b2c GM |
1321 | control the behavior of Emacs. The variables used in Emacs that you |
1322 | are likely to be interested in are listed in the Variables Index in | |
1323 | this manual (@pxref{Variable Index}). @xref{Variables}, for | |
1324 | information on variables. | |
1325 | ||
1326 | @item Version Control | |
1327 | Version control systems keep track of multiple versions of a source file. | |
1328 | They provide a more powerful alternative to keeping backup files (q.v.@:). | |
1329 | @xref{Version Control}. | |
1330 | ||
1331 | @item Visiting | |
1332 | Visiting a file means loading its contents into a buffer (q.v.@:) | |
1333 | where they can be edited. @xref{Visiting}. | |
1334 | ||
1335 | @item Whitespace | |
1336 | Whitespace is any run of consecutive formatting characters (space, | |
1337 | tab, newline, and backspace). | |
1338 | ||
1339 | @item Widening | |
1340 | Widening is removing any restriction (q.v.@:) on the current buffer; | |
1341 | it is the opposite of narrowing (q.v.@:). @xref{Narrowing}. | |
1342 | ||
1343 | @item Window | |
1344 | Emacs divides a frame (q.v.@:) into one or more windows, each of which | |
1345 | can display the contents of one buffer (q.v.@:) at any time. | |
1346 | @xref{Screen}, for basic information on how Emacs uses the screen. | |
1347 | @xref{Windows}, for commands to control the use of windows. Some | |
1348 | other editors use the term ``window'' for what we call a `frame' | |
1349 | (q.v.@:) in Emacs. | |
1350 | ||
1351 | @item Window System | |
1352 | A window system is software that operates on a graphical display | |
1353 | (q.v.@:), to subdivide the screen so that multiple applications can | |
1354 | have their] own windows at the same time. All modern operating systems | |
1355 | include a window system. | |
1356 | ||
1357 | @item Word Abbrev | |
1358 | See `abbrev.' | |
1359 | ||
1360 | @item Word Search | |
1361 | Word search is searching for a sequence of words, considering the | |
1362 | punctuation between them as insignificant. @xref{Word Search}. | |
1363 | ||
1364 | @item WYSIWYG | |
1365 | WYSIWYG stands for ``What you see is what you get.'' Emacs generally | |
1366 | provides WYSIWYG editing for files of characters; in Enriched mode | |
1367 | (@pxref{Formatted Text}), it provides WYSIWYG editing for files that | |
1368 | include text formatting information. | |
1369 | ||
1370 | @item Yanking | |
07ee224d GM |
1371 | Yanking means reinserting text previously killed (q.v.@:). It can be |
1372 | used to undo a mistaken kill, or for copying or moving text. Some | |
1373 | other systems call this ``pasting.'' @xref{Yanking}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1374 | @end table |
1375 | ||
1376 | @ignore | |
1377 | arch-tag: 0dd53ce1-5f09-4ac2-b13b-cf22b0f28d23 | |
1378 | @end ignore |