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6bf7aab6 | 1 | @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
acaf905b | 2 | @c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2012 |
73b0cd50 | 3 | @c Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
6bf7aab6 | 4 | @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
abb9615e | 5 | @node Registers |
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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 | ||
c48a6229 | 32 | @dfn{Bookmarks} record files and positions in them, so you can |
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33 | return to those positions when you look at the file again. Bookmarks |
34 | are similar in spirit to registers, so they are also documented in | |
35 | this chapter. | |
c48a6229 | 36 | |
6bf7aab6 | 37 | @menu |
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38 | * Position Registers:: Saving positions in registers. |
39 | * Text Registers:: Saving text in registers. | |
40 | * Rectangle Registers:: Saving rectangles in registers. | |
41 | * Configuration Registers:: Saving window configurations in registers. | |
42 | * Number Registers:: Numbers in registers. | |
43 | * File Registers:: File names in registers. | |
44 | * Bookmarks:: Bookmarks are like registers, but persistent. | |
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45 | @end menu |
46 | ||
a30ed87b | 47 | @node Position Registers |
6bf7aab6 | 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 | ||
a30ed87b | 79 | @node Text Registers |
6bf7aab6 | 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 | |
6bf7aab6 | 121 | @kbd{C-x r i @var{r}} inserts in the buffer the text from register |
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122 | @var{r}. Normally it leaves point before the text and sets the mark |
123 | after, without activating it. With a numeric argument, it instead | |
124 | puts point after the text and the mark before. | |
6bf7aab6 | 125 | |
a30ed87b | 126 | @node Rectangle Registers |
6bf7aab6 | 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 | ||
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146 | The @kbd{C-x r i @var{r}} (@code{insert-register}) command, |
147 | previously documented in @ref{Text Registers}, inserts a rectangle | |
58179cce | 148 | rather than a text string, if the register contains a rectangle. |
6bf7aab6 | 149 | |
a30ed87b | 150 | @node Configuration Registers |
6bf7aab6 | 151 | @section Saving Window Configurations in Registers |
7ea0f431 | 152 | @cindex saving window configuration in a register |
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153 | |
154 | @findex window-configuration-to-register | |
155 | @findex frame-configuration-to-register | |
156 | @kindex C-x r w | |
157 | @kindex C-x r f | |
158 | You can save the window configuration of the selected frame in a | |
159 | register, or even the configuration of all windows in all frames, and | |
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160 | restore the configuration later. @xref{Windows}, for information |
161 | about window configurations. | |
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162 | |
163 | @table @kbd | |
164 | @item C-x r w @var{r} | |
165 | Save the state of the selected frame's windows in register @var{r} | |
166 | (@code{window-configuration-to-register}). | |
167 | @item C-x r f @var{r} | |
168 | Save the state of all frames, including all their windows, in register | |
169 | @var{r} (@code{frame-configuration-to-register}). | |
170 | @end table | |
171 | ||
172 | Use @kbd{C-x r j @var{r}} to restore a window or frame configuration. | |
173 | This is the same command used to restore a cursor position. When you | |
174 | restore a frame configuration, any existing frames not included in the | |
175 | configuration become invisible. If you wish to delete these frames | |
176 | instead, use @kbd{C-u C-x r j @var{r}}. | |
177 | ||
a30ed87b | 178 | @node Number Registers |
6bf7aab6 | 179 | @section Keeping Numbers in Registers |
7ea0f431 | 180 | @cindex saving number in a register |
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181 | |
182 | There are commands to store a number in a register, to insert | |
183 | the number in the buffer in decimal, and to increment it. These commands | |
184 | can be useful in keyboard macros (@pxref{Keyboard Macros}). | |
185 | ||
186 | @table @kbd | |
485bceb5 | 187 | @item C-u @var{number} C-x r n @var{r} |
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188 | @kindex C-x r n |
189 | @findex number-to-register | |
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190 | Store @var{number} into register @var{r} (@code{number-to-register}). |
191 | @item C-u @var{number} C-x r + @var{r} | |
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192 | @kindex C-x r + |
193 | @findex increment-register | |
485bceb5 | 194 | Increment the number in register @var{r} by @var{number} |
6bf7aab6 | 195 | (@code{increment-register}). |
d48102cf | 196 | @item C-x r i @var{r} |
485bceb5 | 197 | Insert the number from register @var{r} into the buffer. |
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198 | @end table |
199 | ||
d48102cf | 200 | @kbd{C-x r i} is the same command used to insert any other sort of |
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201 | register contents into the buffer. @kbd{C-x r +} with no numeric |
202 | argument increments the register value by 1; @kbd{C-x r n} with no | |
203 | numeric argument stores zero in the register. | |
6bf7aab6 | 204 | |
a30ed87b | 205 | @node File Registers |
6bf7aab6 | 206 | @section Keeping File Names in Registers |
5fe3b9bc | 207 | @cindex saving file name in a register |
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208 | |
209 | If you visit certain file names frequently, you can visit them more | |
210 | conveniently if you put their names in registers. Here's the Lisp code | |
211 | used to put a file name in a register: | |
212 | ||
213 | @smallexample | |
214 | (set-register ?@var{r} '(file . @var{name})) | |
215 | @end smallexample | |
216 | ||
217 | @need 3000 | |
218 | @noindent | |
219 | For example, | |
220 | ||
221 | @smallexample | |
222 | (set-register ?z '(file . "/gd/gnu/emacs/19.0/src/ChangeLog")) | |
223 | @end smallexample | |
224 | ||
225 | @noindent | |
226 | puts the file name shown in register @samp{z}. | |
227 | ||
228 | To visit the file whose name is in register @var{r}, type @kbd{C-x r j | |
229 | @var{r}}. (This is the same command used to jump to a position or | |
230 | restore a frame configuration.) | |
231 | ||
232 | @node Bookmarks | |
233 | @section Bookmarks | |
234 | @cindex bookmarks | |
235 | ||
236 | @dfn{Bookmarks} are somewhat like registers in that they record | |
237 | positions you can jump to. Unlike registers, they have long names, and | |
238 | they persist automatically from one Emacs session to the next. The | |
239 | prototypical use of bookmarks is to record ``where you were reading'' in | |
240 | various files. | |
241 | ||
242 | @table @kbd | |
243 | @item C-x r m @key{RET} | |
244 | Set the bookmark for the visited file, at point. | |
245 | ||
246 | @item C-x r m @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
247 | @findex bookmark-set | |
248 | Set the bookmark named @var{bookmark} at point (@code{bookmark-set}). | |
249 | ||
250 | @item C-x r b @var{bookmark} @key{RET} | |
251 | @findex bookmark-jump | |
252 | Jump to the bookmark named @var{bookmark} (@code{bookmark-jump}). | |
253 | ||
254 | @item C-x r l | |
255 | @findex list-bookmarks | |
256 | List all bookmarks (@code{list-bookmarks}). | |
257 | ||
258 | @item M-x bookmark-save | |
259 | @findex bookmark-save | |
260 | Save all the current bookmark values in the default bookmark file. | |
261 | @end table | |
262 | ||
263 | @kindex C-x r m | |
264 | @findex bookmark-set | |
265 | @kindex C-x r b | |
266 | @findex bookmark-jump | |
267 | The prototypical use for bookmarks is to record one current position | |
268 | in each of several files. So the command @kbd{C-x r m}, which sets a | |
269 | bookmark, uses the visited file name as the default for the bookmark | |
270 | name. If you name each bookmark after the file it points to, then you | |
271 | can conveniently revisit any of those files with @kbd{C-x r b}, and move | |
272 | to the position of the bookmark at the same time. | |
273 | ||
274 | @kindex C-x r l | |
275 | To display a list of all your bookmarks in a separate buffer, type | |
276 | @kbd{C-x r l} (@code{list-bookmarks}). If you switch to that buffer, | |
277 | you can use it to edit your bookmark definitions or annotate the | |
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278 | bookmarks. Type @kbd{C-h m} in the bookmark buffer for more |
279 | information about its special editing commands. | |
6bf7aab6 | 280 | |
b6e63cbe | 281 | When you kill Emacs, Emacs saves your bookmarks, if |
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282 | you have changed any bookmark values. You can also save the bookmarks |
283 | at any time with the @kbd{M-x bookmark-save} command. Bookmarks are | |
284 | saved to the file @file{~/.emacs.d/bookmarks} (for compatibility with | |
285 | older versions of Emacs, if you have a file named @file{~/.emacs.bmk}, | |
286 | that is used instead). The bookmark commands load your default | |
287 | bookmark file automatically. This saving and loading is how bookmarks | |
288 | persist from one Emacs session to the next. | |
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289 | |
290 | @vindex bookmark-save-flag | |
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291 | If you set the variable @code{bookmark-save-flag} to 1, each command |
292 | that sets a bookmark will also save your bookmarks; this way, you | |
b6e63cbe | 293 | don't lose any bookmark values even if Emacs crashes. The value, if |
d0ca439d | 294 | a number, says how many bookmark modifications should go by between |
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295 | saving. If you set this variable to @code{nil}, Emacs only |
296 | saves bookmarks if you explicitly use @kbd{M-x bookmark-save}. | |
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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 |