Emacs commands are presented below in two alphabetical lists. Reminder: C- indicates the Control key; M- indicates the Meta key.
Keystrokes | Command Name | Description |
---|---|---|
C-@ | set-mark-command | Mark the beginning (or end) of a region. |
C-Space | (same as previous) | |
C-] | (none) | Exit recursive edit and exit query-replace. |
C-a | beginning-of-line | Move to beginning of line. |
C-b | backward-char | Move backward one character (left). |
C-c C-c | comint-interrupt-subjob | Terminate the current job. |
C-c C-d | comint-send-eof | End-of-file character. |
C-c C-u | comint-kill-input | Erase current line. |
C-c C-w | backward-kill-word | Erase the previous word. |
C-c C-z | comint-stop-subjob | Suspend the current job. |
C-d | delete-char | Delete character under cursor. |
C-e | end-of-line | Move to end of line. |
C-f | forward-char | Move forward one character (right). |
C-g | keyboard-quit | Abort current command. |
C-h | help-command | Enter the online help system. |
C-h a | command-apropos | What commands involve this concept? |
C-h b | describe-bindings | What are all the key bindings for this buffer? |
C-h C-c | describe-copying | View the emacs General Public License. |
C-h C-d | describe-distribution | View information on ordering emacs from FSF. |
C-h C-w | describe-no-warranty | View the (non-)warranty for emacs. |
C-h c | describe-key-briefly | What command does this keystroke sequence run? |
C-h f | describe-function | What does this function do? |
C-h i | info | Start the Info documentation reader. |
C-h k | describe-key | What command does this keystroke sequence run, and what does it do? |
C-h l | view-lossage | What are the last 100 characters I typed? |
C-h m | describe-mode | Tell me about the mode the current buffer is in. |
C-h n | view-emacs-news | View news about updates to emacs. |
C-h s | describe-syntax | What is the syntax table for this buffer? |
C-h t | help-with-tutorial | Run the emacs tutorial. |
C-h v | describe-variable | What does this variable mean, and what is its value? |
C-h w | where-is | What is the key binding for this command? |
C-k | kill-line | Delete from cursor to end of line. |
C-l | recenter | Redraw screen with current line in the center. |
C-n | next-line | Move to next line (down). |
C-p | previous-line | Move to previous line (up). |
C-r Meta | (none) | Start nonincremental search backwards. |
C-r | (none) | Repeat nonincremental search backward. |
C-r | (none) | Enter recursive edit (during query replace). |
C-r | isearch-backward | Start incremental search backward. |
C-s Meta | (none) | Start nonincremental search forward. |
C-s | (none) | Repeat nonincremental search forward. |
C-s | isearch-forward | Start incremental search forward. |
C-t | transpose-chars | Transpose two letters. |
C-u n | universal-argument | Repeat the next command n times. |
C-u C-x ( | universal-argument and start-kbd-macro | Execute last macro defined, then add keystrokes. |
C-u C-x q | (none) | Insert recursive edit in a macro definition. |
C-v | scroll-up | Move forward one screen. |
C-w | kill-region | Delete a marked region. |
C-x ( | start-kbd-macro | Start macro definition. |
C-x ) | end-kbd-macro | End macro definition. |
C-x [ | backward-page | Move backward one page. |
C-x ] | forward-page | Move forward one page. |
C-x ^ | enlarge-window | Make window taller. |
C-x { | shrink-window-horizontally | Make window narrower. |
C-x } | enlarge-window-horizontally | Make window wider. |
C-x < | scroll-left | Scroll the window left. |
C-x > | scroll-right | Scroll the window right. |
C-x . | set-fill-prefix | Use characters from the beginning of the line up to the cursor column as the "fill prefix." This prefix is prepended to each line in the paragraph. Cancel the prefix by typing this command in column 1. |
C-x 0 | delete-window | Delete current window. |
C-x 1 | delete-other-windows | Delete all windows but this one. |
C-x 2 | split-window-vertically | Divide the current window into two, one on top of the other. |
C-x 3 | split-window-horizontally | Divide the current window into two, side by side. |
C-x 4 b | switch-to-buffer-other-window | Select a buffer in the other window. |
C-x 4 f | find-file-other-window | Find a file in the other window. |
C-x 5 b | switch-to-buffer-other-frame | Select a buffer in another frame. |
C-x 5 f | find-file-other-frame | Find a file in a new frame. |
C-x C-b | list-buffers | Display the buffer list. |
C-x C-c | save-buffers-kill-emacs | Exit emacs. |
C-x C-f | find-file | Find file and read it. |
C-x C-l | downcase-region | Lowercase region. |
C-x C-p | mark-page | Mark page. |
C-x C-q | (none) | Toggle read-only status of buffer. |
C-x C-s | save-buffer | Save file (may hang terminal; use C-q to restart). |
C-x C-t | transpose-lines | Transpose two lines. |
C-x C-u | upcase-region | Uppercase region |
C-x C-v | find-alternate-file | Read an alternate file, replacing the one read with C-x C-f. |
C-x C-w | write-file | Write buffer contents to file. |
C-x C-x | exchange-point-and-mark | Exchange location of cursor and mark. |
C-x DEL | backward-kill-sentence | Delete previous sentence. |
C-x a i g | inverse-add-global-abbrev | Type global abbreviation, then definition. |
C-x a i l | inverse-add-local-abbrev | Type local abbreviation, then definition. |
C-x b | switch-to-buffer | Move to the buffer specified. |
C-x e | call-last-kbd-macro | Execute last macro defined. |
C-x h | mark-whole-buffer | Mark buffer. |
C-x i | insert-file | Insert file at cursor position. |
C-x k | kill-buffer | Delete the buffer specified. |
C-x o | other-window | Move to the other window. |
C-x q | kbd-macro-query | Insert a query in a macro definition. |
C-x s | save-some-buffers | Ask whether to save each modified buffer. |
C-x u | advertised-undo | Undo last edit (can be done repeatedly). |
C-y | yank | Restore what you've deleted. |
C-z | suspend-emacs | Suspend emacs (use exit or fg to restart). |
Keystrokes | Command Name | Description |
---|---|---|
Meta | (none) | Exit a query-replace or successful search. |
M-- M-c | negative-argument; capitalize-word | Capitalize previous word. |
M-- M-l | negative-argument; downcase-word | Lowercase previous word. |
M-- M-u | negative-argument; upcase-word | Uppercase previous word. |
M-$ | spell-word | Check spelling of word after cursor. |
M-< | beginning-of-buffer | Move to beginning of file. |
M-> | end-of-buffer | Move to end of file. |
M-{ | backward-paragraph | Move backward one paragraph. |
M-} | forward-paragraph | Move forward one paragraph. |
M-^ | delete-indentation | Join this line to the previous one. |
M-n | digit-argument | Repeat the next command n times. |
M-n C-x e | digit-argument and call-last-kbd-macro | Execute the last defined macro, n times. |
M-a | backward-sentence | Move backward one sentence. |
M-b | backward-word | Move one word backward. |
M-C-\ | indent-region | Indent a region to match first line in region. |
M-C-c | exit-recursive-edit | Exit a recursive edit. |
M-C-o | split-line | Split line at cursor; indent to column of cursor. |
M-C-v | scroll-other-window | Scroll other window. |
M-c | capitalize-word | Capitalize first letter of word. |
M-d | kill-word | Delete word that cursor is on. |
M-DEL | backward-kill-word | Delete previous word. |
M-e | forward-sentence | Move forward one sentence. |
M-f | forward-word | Move one word forward. |
(none) | fill-region | Reformat individual paragraphs within a region. |
M-h | mark-paragraph | Mark paragraph. |
M-k | kill-sentence | Delete sentence the cursor is on. |
M-l | downcase-word | Lowercase word. |
M-m | back-to-indentation | Move cursor to first nonblank character on line. |
M-q | fill-paragraph | Reformat paragraph. |
M-s | center-line | Center line that cursor is on. |
M-t | transpose-words | Transpose two words. |
M-u | upcase-word | Uppercase word. |
M-v | scroll-down | Move backward one screen. |
M-x | (none) | Access command by command name. |