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6bf7aab6 | 1 | @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
62eda0e2 | 2 | @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, |
5df4f04c | 3 | @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
6bf7aab6 | 4 | @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
26e8108f | 5 | @node Registers, Display, CUA Bindings, Top |
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6 | @chapter Registers |
7 | @cindex registers | |
8 | ||
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9 | Emacs @dfn{registers} are compartments where you can save text, |
10 | rectangles, positions, and other things for later use. Once you save | |
11 | text or a rectangle in a register, you can copy it into the buffer | |
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12 | once, or many times; once you save a position in a register, you can |
13 | jump back to that position once, or many times. | |
14 | ||
15 | Each register has a name that consists of a single character, which | |
16 | we will denote by @var{r}; @var{r} can be a letter (such as @samp{a}) | |
17 | or a number (such as @samp{1}); case matters, so register @samp{a} is | |
18 | not the same as register @samp{A}. | |
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19 | |
20 | @findex view-register | |
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21 | A register can store a position, a piece of text, a rectangle, a |
22 | number, a window configuration, or a file name, but only one thing at | |
23 | any given time. Whatever you store in a register remains there until | |
24 | you store something else in that register. To see what register | |
25 | @var{r} contains, use @kbd{M-x view-register}: | |
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26 | |
27 | @table @kbd | |
28 | @item M-x view-register @key{RET} @var{r} | |
29 | Display a description of what register @var{r} contains. | |
30 | @end table | |
31 | ||
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32 | @dfn{Bookmarks} record files and positions in them, so you can |
33 | return to those positions when you look at the file again. | |
34 | Bookmarks are similar enough in spirit to registers that they | |
35 | seem to belong in this chapter. | |
36 | ||
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37 | @menu |
38 | * Position: RegPos. Saving positions in registers. | |
39 | * Text: RegText. Saving text in registers. | |
40 | * Rectangle: RegRect. Saving rectangles in registers. | |
41 | * Configurations: RegConfig. Saving window configurations in registers. | |
6bf7aab6 | 42 | * Numbers: RegNumbers. Numbers in registers. |
d48102cf | 43 | * Files: RegFiles. File names in registers. |
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44 | * Bookmarks:: Bookmarks are like registers, but persistent. |
45 | @end menu | |
46 | ||
47 | @node RegPos | |
48 | @section Saving Positions in Registers | |
7ea0f431 | 49 | @cindex saving position in a register |
6bf7aab6 | 50 | |
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51 | @table @kbd |
52 | @item C-x r @key{SPC} @var{r} | |
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53 | Record the position of point and the current buffer in register |
54 | @var{r} (@code{point-to-register}). | |
6bf7aab6 | 55 | @item C-x r j @var{r} |
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56 | Jump to the position and buffer saved in register @var{r} |
57 | (@code{jump-to-register}). | |
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58 | @end table |
59 | ||
60 | @kindex C-x r SPC | |
61 | @findex point-to-register | |
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62 | Typing @kbd{C-x r @key{SPC}} (@code{point-to-register}), followed by |
63 | a character @kbd{@var{r}}, saves both the position of point and the | |
64 | current buffer in register @var{r}. The register retains this | |
65 | information until you store something else in it. | |
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66 | |
67 | @kindex C-x r j | |
68 | @findex jump-to-register | |
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69 | The command @kbd{C-x r j @var{r}} switches to the buffer recorded in |
70 | register @var{r}, and moves point to the recorded position. The | |
71 | contents of the register are not changed, so you can jump to the saved | |
72 | position any number of times. | |
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73 | |
74 | If you use @kbd{C-x r j} to go to a saved position, but the buffer it | |
75 | was saved from has been killed, @kbd{C-x r j} tries to create the buffer | |
76 | again by visiting the same file. Of course, this works only for buffers | |
77 | that were visiting files. | |
78 | ||
79 | @node RegText | |
80 | @section Saving Text in Registers | |
7ea0f431 | 81 | @cindex saving text in a register |
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82 | |
83 | When you want to insert a copy of the same piece of text several | |
84 | times, it may be inconvenient to yank it from the kill ring, since each | |
85 | subsequent kill moves that entry further down the ring. An alternative | |
86 | is to store the text in a register and later retrieve it. | |
87 | ||
88 | @table @kbd | |
89 | @item C-x r s @var{r} | |
90 | Copy region into register @var{r} (@code{copy-to-register}). | |
91 | @item C-x r i @var{r} | |
92 | Insert text from register @var{r} (@code{insert-register}). | |
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93 | @item M-x append-to-register @key{RET} @var{r} |
94 | Append region to text in register @var{r}. | |
95 | @item M-x prepend-to-register @key{RET} @var{r} | |
96 | Prepend region to text in register @var{r}. | |
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97 | @end table |
98 | ||
99 | @kindex C-x r s | |
6bf7aab6 | 100 | @findex copy-to-register |
e75e59fd | 101 | @kbd{C-x r s @var{r}} stores a copy of the text of the region into |
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102 | the register named @var{r}. If the mark is inactive, Emacs first |
103 | reactivates the mark where it was last set. The mark is deactivated | |
104 | at the end of this command. @xref{Mark}. @kbd{C-u C-x r s @var{r}}, | |
105 | the same command with a prefix argument, copies the text into register | |
106 | @var{r} and deletes the text from the buffer as well; you can think of | |
107 | this as ``moving'' the region text into the register. | |
6bf7aab6 | 108 | |
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109 | @findex append-to-register |
110 | @findex prepend-to-register | |
111 | @kbd{M-x append-to-register @key{RET} @var{r}} appends the copy of | |
112 | the text in the region to the text already stored in the register | |
d0ca439d | 113 | named @var{r}. If invoked with a prefix argument, it deletes the |
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114 | region after appending it to the register. The command |
115 | @code{prepend-to-register} is similar, except that it @emph{prepends} | |
d0ca439d | 116 | the region text to the text in the register instead of |
60b541d1 | 117 | @emph{appending} it. |
7ea0f431 | 118 | |
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119 | @kindex C-x r i |
120 | @findex insert-register | |
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121 | @kbd{C-x r i @var{r}} inserts in the buffer the text from register |
122 | @var{r}. Normally it leaves point before the text and places the mark | |
123 | after, but with a numeric argument (@kbd{C-u}) it puts point after the | |
124 | text and the mark before. | |
125 | ||
126 | @node RegRect | |
127 | @section Saving Rectangles in Registers | |
7ea0f431 | 128 | @cindex saving rectangle in a register |
6bf7aab6 | 129 | |
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130 | A register can contain a rectangle instead of linear text. |
131 | @xref{Rectangles}, for basic information on how to specify a rectangle | |
132 | in the buffer. | |
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133 | |
134 | @table @kbd | |
135 | @findex copy-rectangle-to-register | |
136 | @kindex C-x r r | |
137 | @item C-x r r @var{r} | |
138 | Copy the region-rectangle into register @var{r} | |
139 | (@code{copy-rectangle-to-register}). With numeric argument, delete it as | |
140 | well. | |
141 | @item C-x r i @var{r} | |
142 | Insert the rectangle stored in register @var{r} (if it contains a | |
143 | rectangle) (@code{insert-register}). | |
144 | @end table | |
145 | ||
146 | The @kbd{C-x r i @var{r}} command inserts a text string if the | |
147 | register contains one, and inserts a rectangle if the register contains | |
148 | one. | |
149 | ||
150 | See also the command @code{sort-columns}, which you can think of | |
151 | as sorting a rectangle. @xref{Sorting}. | |
152 | ||
153 | @node RegConfig | |
154 | @section Saving Window Configurations in Registers | |
7ea0f431 | 155 | @cindex saving window configuration in a register |
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156 | |
157 | @findex window-configuration-to-register | |
158 | @findex frame-configuration-to-register | |
159 | @kindex C-x r w | |
160 | @kindex C-x r f | |
161 | You can save the window configuration of the selected frame in a | |
162 | register, or even the configuration of all windows in all frames, and | |
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163 | restore the configuration later. @xref{Windows}, for information |
164 | about window configurations. | |
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165 | |
166 | @table @kbd | |
167 | @item C-x r w @var{r} | |
168 | Save the state of the selected frame's windows in register @var{r} | |
169 | (@code{window-configuration-to-register}). | |
170 | @item C-x r f @var{r} | |
171 | Save the state of all frames, including all their windows, in register | |
172 | @var{r} (@code{frame-configuration-to-register}). | |
173 | @end table | |
174 | ||
175 | Use @kbd{C-x r j @var{r}} to restore a window or frame configuration. | |
176 | This is the same command used to restore a cursor position. When you | |
177 | restore a frame configuration, any existing frames not included in the | |
178 | configuration become invisible. If you wish to delete these frames | |
179 | instead, use @kbd{C-u C-x r j @var{r}}. | |
180 | ||
181 | @node RegNumbers | |
182 | @section Keeping Numbers in Registers | |
7ea0f431 | 183 | @cindex saving number in a register |
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184 | |
185 | There are commands to store a number in a register, to insert | |
186 | the number in the buffer in decimal, and to increment it. These commands | |
187 | can be useful in keyboard macros (@pxref{Keyboard Macros}). | |
188 | ||
189 | @table @kbd | |
485bceb5 | 190 | @item C-u @var{number} C-x r n @var{r} |
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191 | @kindex C-x r n |
192 | @findex number-to-register | |
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193 | Store @var{number} into register @var{r} (@code{number-to-register}). |
194 | @item C-u @var{number} C-x r + @var{r} | |
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195 | @kindex C-x r + |
196 | @findex increment-register | |
485bceb5 | 197 | Increment the number in register @var{r} by @var{number} |
6bf7aab6 | 198 | (@code{increment-register}). |
d48102cf | 199 | @item C-x r i @var{r} |
485bceb5 | 200 | Insert the number from register @var{r} into the buffer. |
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201 | @end table |
202 | ||
d48102cf | 203 | @kbd{C-x r i} is the same command used to insert any other sort of |
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204 | register contents into the buffer. @kbd{C-x r +} with no numeric |
205 | argument increments the register value by 1; @kbd{C-x r n} with no | |
206 | numeric argument stores zero in the register. | |
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207 | |
208 | @node RegFiles | |
209 | @section Keeping File Names in Registers | |
5fe3b9bc | 210 | @cindex saving file name in a register |
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211 | |
212 | If you visit certain file names frequently, you can visit them more | |
213 | conveniently if you put their names in registers. Here's the Lisp code | |
214 | used to put a file name in a register: | |
215 | ||
216 | @smallexample | |
217 | (set-register ?@var{r} '(file . @var{name})) | |
218 | @end smallexample | |
219 | ||
220 | @need 3000 | |
221 | @noindent | |
222 | For example, | |
223 | ||
224 | @smallexample | |
225 | (set-register ?z '(file . "/gd/gnu/emacs/19.0/src/ChangeLog")) | |
226 | @end smallexample | |
227 | ||
228 | @noindent | |
229 | puts the file name shown in register @samp{z}. | |
230 | ||
231 | To visit the file whose name is in register @var{r}, type @kbd{C-x r j | |
232 | @var{r}}. (This is the same command used to jump to a position or | |
233 | restore a frame configuration.) | |
234 | ||
235 | @node Bookmarks | |
236 | @section Bookmarks | |
237 | @cindex bookmarks | |
238 | ||
239 | @dfn{Bookmarks} are somewhat like registers in that they record | |
240 | positions you can jump to. Unlike registers, they have long names, and | |
241 | they persist automatically from one Emacs session to the next. The | |
242 | prototypical use of bookmarks is to record ``where you were reading'' in | |
243 | various files. | |
244 | ||
245 | @table @kbd | |
246 | @item C-x r m @key{RET} | |
247 | Set the bookmark for the visited file, at point. | |
248 | ||
249 | @item C-x r m @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
250 | @findex bookmark-set | |
251 | Set the bookmark named @var{bookmark} at point (@code{bookmark-set}). | |
252 | ||
253 | @item C-x r b @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
254 | @findex bookmark-jump | |
255 | Jump to the bookmark named @var{bookmark} (@code{bookmark-jump}). | |
256 | ||
257 | @item C-x r l | |
258 | @findex list-bookmarks | |
259 | List all bookmarks (@code{list-bookmarks}). | |
260 | ||
261 | @item M-x bookmark-save | |
262 | @findex bookmark-save | |
263 | Save all the current bookmark values in the default bookmark file. | |
264 | @end table | |
265 | ||
266 | @kindex C-x r m | |
267 | @findex bookmark-set | |
268 | @kindex C-x r b | |
269 | @findex bookmark-jump | |
270 | The prototypical use for bookmarks is to record one current position | |
271 | in each of several files. So the command @kbd{C-x r m}, which sets a | |
272 | bookmark, uses the visited file name as the default for the bookmark | |
273 | name. If you name each bookmark after the file it points to, then you | |
274 | can conveniently revisit any of those files with @kbd{C-x r b}, and move | |
275 | to the position of the bookmark at the same time. | |
276 | ||
277 | @kindex C-x r l | |
278 | To display a list of all your bookmarks in a separate buffer, type | |
279 | @kbd{C-x r l} (@code{list-bookmarks}). If you switch to that buffer, | |
280 | you can use it to edit your bookmark definitions or annotate the | |
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281 | bookmarks. Type @kbd{C-h m} in the bookmark buffer for more |
282 | information about its special editing commands. | |
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283 | |
284 | When you kill Emacs, Emacs offers to save your bookmark values in your | |
285 | default bookmark file, @file{~/.emacs.bmk}, if you have changed any | |
286 | bookmark values. You can also save the bookmarks at any time with the | |
287 | @kbd{M-x bookmark-save} command. The bookmark commands load your | |
288 | default bookmark file automatically. This saving and loading is how | |
289 | bookmarks persist from one Emacs session to the next. | |
290 | ||
291 | @vindex bookmark-save-flag | |
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292 | If you set the variable @code{bookmark-save-flag} to 1, each command |
293 | that sets a bookmark will also save your bookmarks; this way, you | |
294 | don't lose any bookmark values even if Emacs crashes. (The value, if | |
295 | a number, says how many bookmark modifications should go by between | |
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296 | saving.) |
297 | ||
298 | @vindex bookmark-search-size | |
299 | Bookmark position values are saved with surrounding context, so that | |
300 | @code{bookmark-jump} can find the proper position even if the file is | |
301 | modified slightly. The variable @code{bookmark-search-size} says how | |
13b9ee95 | 302 | many characters of context to record on each side of the bookmark's |
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303 | position. |
304 | ||
305 | Here are some additional commands for working with bookmarks: | |
306 | ||
307 | @table @kbd | |
308 | @item M-x bookmark-load @key{RET} @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
309 | @findex bookmark-load | |
310 | Load a file named @var{filename} that contains a list of bookmark | |
311 | values. You can use this command, as well as @code{bookmark-write}, to | |
312 | work with other files of bookmark values in addition to your default | |
313 | bookmark file. | |
314 | ||
315 | @item M-x bookmark-write @key{RET} @var{filename} @key{RET} | |
316 | @findex bookmark-write | |
317 | Save all the current bookmark values in the file @var{filename}. | |
318 | ||
319 | @item M-x bookmark-delete @key{RET} @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
320 | @findex bookmark-delete | |
321 | Delete the bookmark named @var{bookmark}. | |
322 | ||
323 | @item M-x bookmark-insert-location @key{RET} @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
324 | @findex bookmark-insert-location | |
325 | Insert in the buffer the name of the file that bookmark @var{bookmark} | |
326 | points to. | |
327 | ||
328 | @item M-x bookmark-insert @key{RET} @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
329 | @findex bookmark-insert | |
330 | Insert in the buffer the @emph{contents} of the file that bookmark | |
331 | @var{bookmark} points to. | |
332 | @end table | |
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333 | |
334 | @ignore | |
335 | arch-tag: b00af991-ebc3-4b3a-8e82-a3ac81ff2e64 | |
336 | @end ignore |