This chapter describes the Emacs commands that add, remove, or
adjust indentation.
-@c WideCommands
@table @kbd
@item @key{TAB}
-Indent current line ``appropriately'' in a mode-dependent fashion.
+Indent the current line ``appropriately'' in a mode-dependent fashion.
@item @kbd{C-j}
Perform @key{RET} followed by @key{TAB} (@code{newline-and-indent}).
@item M-^
-Merge two lines (@code{delete-indentation}). This would cancel out
-the effect of @kbd{C-j}.
+Merge the previous and the current line (@code{delete-indentation}).
+This would cancel out the effect of @kbd{C-j}.
@item C-M-o
-Split line at point; text on the line after point becomes a new line
-indented to the same column that it now starts in (@code{split-line}).
+Split the current line at point; text on the line after point becomes a
+new line indented to the same column where point is located
+(@code{split-line}).
@item M-m
Move (forward or back) to the first nonblank character on the current
line (@code{back-to-indentation}).
@item C-M-\
-Indent several lines to same column (@code{indent-region}).
+Indent several lines to the same column (@code{indent-region}).
@item C-x @key{TAB}
-Shift block of lines rigidly right or left (@code{indent-rigidly}).
+Shift a block of lines rigidly right or left (@code{indent-rigidly}).
@item M-i
Indent from point to the next prespecified tab stop column
(@code{tab-to-tab-stop}).
indents to the next tab stop column. You can set the tab stops with
@kbd{M-x edit-tab-stops}.
+ Normally, @key{TAB} inserts an optimal mix of tabs and spaces for
+the intended indentation. @xref{Just Spaces}, for how to prevent use
+of tabs.
+
@menu
* Indentation Commands:: Various commands and techniques for indentation.
* Tab Stops:: You can set arbitrary "tab stops" and then
arguments). The whole group of lines moves rigidly sideways, which is
how the command gets its name.@refill
+@cindex remove indentation
+ If you want to remove all indentation from all of the line in the
+region, invoke @kbd{C-x @key{TAB}} with a large negative argument,
+such as -1000.
+
@findex indent-relative
@kbd{M-x indent-relative} indents at point based on the previous line
(actually, the last nonempty line). It inserts whitespace at point, moving
indentation point then applicable is used. If no indentation point is
applicable even then, @code{indent-relative} runs @code{tab-to-tab-stop}
@ifinfo
-(@pxref{Tab Stops}).
+(@pxref{Tab Stops}),
@end ifinfo
@iftex
-(see next section).
+(see next section),
@end iftex
+unless it is called with a numeric argument, in which case it does
+nothing.
@code{indent-relative} is the definition of @key{TAB} in Indented Text
mode. @xref{Text}.
@section Tabs vs. Spaces
@vindex indent-tabs-mode
- Emacs normally uses both tabs and spaces to indent lines. If you prefer,
-all indentation can be made from spaces only. To request this, set
-@code{indent-tabs-mode} to @code{nil}. This is a per-buffer variable;
-altering the variable affects only the current buffer, but there is a
-default value which you can change as well. @xref{Locals}.
+ Emacs normally uses both tabs and spaces to indent lines. If you
+prefer, all indentation can be made from spaces only. To request
+this, set @code{indent-tabs-mode} to @code{nil}. This is a per-buffer
+variable, so altering the variable affects only the current buffer,
+but there is a default value which you can change as well.
+@xref{Locals}.
@findex tabify
@findex untabify