Emacs Key Combinations

Taken from a page by Bernhard G. Bodmann at the University of Houston, with a few additions of my own.

Note that C-x means Control-X while M-x means Meta-X where meta may mean hitting and releasing the escape key, or alt. These keys are excerpted from the Unix in a Nutshell book. The first column has their default key binding; the second their function name; last is a short description.

1. File Handling Commands
   
   C-x C-f find-file Find a file and read it to screen. C-x C-v find-alternate-file Read a different file. C-x i insert-file Insert a file at the cursors position. C-x C-s save-buffer Save the current buffer. C-x C-w write-file Write the contents of the buffer to a file. C-x C-c save-buffers-kill-emacs Save all open buffers and get out of emacs. C-z suspend-emacs Suspend emacs.

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   C-x C-f find-file Find a file and read it to screen. C-x C-v find-alternate-file Read a different file. C-x i insert-file Insert a file at the cursors position. C-x C-s save-buffer Save the current buffer. C-x C-w write-file Write the contents of the buffer to a file. C-x C-c save-buffers-kill-emacs Save all open buffers and get out of emacs. C-z suspend-emacs Suspend emacs.

2. Cursor Movement Commands
   
   C-f forward-char Move cursor one character. C-b backward-char Move backward one character. C-p previous-line Move up one line. C-n next-line Move down one line. M-f forward-word Move to the next word. (words are defined by whitespace/special characters.) M-b backward-word Move to the previous word. C-a beginning-of-line Move to the beginning of the line. C-e end-of-line Move to the end of the line. M-a backward-sentence Move back one sentence. Esc-v scroll-up Scroll up one screen. C-v scroll-down Scroll down one screen. C-x [ backward-page Go back one page. C-x ] forward-page Go forward one page. M-> end-of-buffer Move to end of buffer. M-< beginning-of-buffer Move to beginning of the current buffer. C-l recenter Redraw the screen with the current line in the center. M-(a number) digit-argument Do the next command (a number) of times.

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   C-f forward-char Move cursor one character. C-b backward-char Move backward one character. C-p previous-line Move up one line. C-n next-line Move down one line. M-f forward-word Move to the next word.  (words are defined by whitespace/special characters.) M-b backward-word Move to the previous word. C-a beginning-of-line Move to the beginning of the line. C-e end-of-line Move to the end of the line. M-a backward-sentence Move back one sentence. Esc-v scroll-up Scroll up one screen. C-v scroll-down Scroll down one screen. C-x [ backward-page Go back one page. C-x ] forward-page Go forward one page. M-> end-of-buffer Move to end of buffer. M-< beginning-of-buffer Move to beginning of the current buffer. C-l recenter Redraw the screen with the current line in the center. M-(a number) digit-argument Do the next command (a number) of times.

   
   Some cheat sheets have “M-v” to scroll up. That has never worked for me. I use “Esc-v” to scroll up.

3. Deletion Commands
   
   Del backward-delete-char Delete the previous character. C-d delete-char Delete the character under the cursor. M-Del backward-kill-word Delete the previous word. C-k kill-line Delete from the cursor to the end of line. M-k kill-sentence Delete the sentence the cursor is in. C-x Del backward-kill-sentence Delete the previous sentence. C-y yank Restore deleted text at cursor. C-w kill-region Delete a marked region. backward-kill-paragraph Delete the previous paragraph. kill-paragraph Delete from the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

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   Del backward-delete-char Delete the previous character. C-d delete-char Delete the character under the cursor. M-Del backward-kill-word Delete the previous word. C-k kill-line Delete from the cursor to the end of line. M-k kill-sentence Delete the sentence the cursor is in. C-x Del backward-kill-sentence Delete the previous sentence. C-y yank Restore deleted text at cursor. C-w kill-region Delete a marked region. backward-kill-paragraph Delete the previous paragraph. kill-paragraph Delete from the cursor to the end of the paragraph.

4. Paragraphs and Regions
   
   C-@ set-mark Mark the beginning (or end) of a region. C-Space set-mark Ibid. C-x C-p mark-page Mark the current page. C-x C-x exchange-point-and-make Exchange the location of the cursor and the mark. C-x h mark-whole-buffer Mark the current buffer. M-q fill-paragraph Reset the paragraph. M-g fill-region Reformat individual paragraphs with region. M-h mark-paragraph Mark select paragraph.

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   C-@ set-mark Mark the beginning (or end) of a region. C-Space set-mark Ibid. C-x C-p mark-page Mark the current page. C-x C-x exchange-point-and-make Exchange the location of the cursor and the mark. C-x h mark-whole-buffer Mark the current buffer. M-q fill-paragraph Reset the paragraph. M-g fill-region Reformat individual paragraphs with region. M-h mark-paragraph Mark select paragraph.

5. Stopping and Undoing Commands
   
   C-g keyboard-quit Stop current command Now! C-x u advertised-undo Undo the last edit (do it often) revert-buffer Return the buffer to the state when last autosaved.

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   C-g keyboard-quit Stop current command Now! C-x u advertised-undo Undo the last edit (do it often) revert-buffer Return the buffer to the state when last autosaved.

6. Transposition Commands
   
   C-t transpose-chars Transpose the two letters. M-t transpose-words Switch two words. C-x C-t transpose-lines Switch two lines. transpose-sentences Switch two sentences. transpose-paragraphs Switch two paragraphs.

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   C-t transpose-chars Transpose the two letters. M-t transpose-words Switch two words. C-x C-t transpose-lines Switch two lines. transpose-sentences Switch two sentences. transpose-paragraphs Switch two paragraphs.

7. Capitalization Commands
   
   M-c capitalize-word Capitalize the first letter of the current word. M-u upcase-word Make the word all uppercase. M-l downcase-word Make the word all lowercase. C-x C-l downcase-region Make the region all lowercase. C-x C-u uppercase-region Make the region all uppercase.

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   M-c capitalize-word Capitalize the first letter of the current word. M-u upcase-word Make the word all uppercase. M-l downcase-word Make the word all lowercase. C-x C-l downcase-region Make the region all lowercase. C-x C-u uppercase-region Make the region all uppercase.

8. Incremental Search Commands
   
   C-s isearch-forward Start an incremental search forward. C-r isearch-backward Starts an incremental search in the reverse direction. Meta Stop a successful search. C-g keyboard-quit Stop searching and return to the starting point. Del Delete an incorrect character whilst searching.

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   C-s isearch-forward Start an incremental search forward. C-r isearch-backward Starts an incremental search in the reverse direction. Meta Stop a successful search. C-g keyboard-quit Stop searching and return to the starting point. Del Delete an incorrect character whilst searching.

9. Word Abbreviation Commands
   
   abbrev-mode Enter abbreviation mode. C-x - inverse-add-global-abbrev Type in a global abbreviation, then its meaning. C-x C-h inverse-add-local-abbrev Type in a local abbreviation, then its meaning. unexpand-abbrev Undo the last word abbreviation. write-abbrev-file Write out the word abbreviation file. edit-abbrevs Edit the current word abbreviations. list-abbrevs View the current word abbreviations. kill-all-abbrevs Kill any abreviations for this session.

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   abbrev-mode Enter abbreviation mode. C-x - inverse-add-global-abbrev Type in a global abbreviation, then its meaning. C-x C-h inverse-add-local-abbrev Type in a local abbreviation, then its meaning. unexpand-abbrev Undo the last word abbreviation. write-abbrev-file Write out the word abbreviation file. edit-abbrevs Edit the current word abbreviations. list-abbrevs View the current word abbreviations. kill-all-abbrevs Kill any abreviations for this session.

10. Buffer Manipulation Commands
    
    C-x b switch-to-buffer Move to the specified buffer. C-x C-b list-buffers Display the list of currently active buffers. C-x k kill-buffer Kill the current buffer kill-some-buffers Ask about deleting each buffer currently active. rename-buffer Rename the current buffer to something else. C-x s save-some-buffers Ask whether to save each modified buffer

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    C-x b switch-to-buffer Move to the specified buffer. C-x C-b list-buffers Display the list of currently active buffers. C-x k kill-buffer Kill the current buffer kill-some-buffers Ask about deleting each buffer currently active. rename-buffer Rename the current buffer to something else. C-x s save-some-buffers Ask whether to save each modified buffer

11. Window Commands
    
    C-x 2 split-window-horizontally Divide the current window horizontally in two. C-x 5 split-windws-vertically Divide the current window vertically in two. C-x > scroll-right Scroll the window right. C-x < scroll-left Scroll the window left. C-x 0 delete-window Delete the current window. C-x 1 delete-other-windows Delete all the windows except this one. delete-windows-on Delete all windows open to a particular buffer. C-x ^ enlarge-window Make the current window taller. shrink-window Make the current window smaller. C-x } enlarge-window-horizontally Make the window wider. C-x { shrink-window-horizontally Make the window less wide. M-C-v scroll-other-window Scroll the other window. C-x 4 f find-file-other-window Find a file in the other window. C-x 4 b switch-to-buffer-other-window Select a buffer in the other window. compare-windows Compare two buffers and show the first difference. C-x o other-window Select another window (letter "o", not number 0)

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    C-x 2 split-window-horizontally Divide the current window horizontally in two. C-x 5 split-windws-vertically Divide the current window vertically in two. C-x > scroll-right Scroll the window right. C-x < scroll-left Scroll the window left. C-x 0 delete-window Delete the current window. C-x 1 delete-other-windows Delete all the windows except this one. delete-windows-on Delete all windows open to a particular buffer. C-x ^ enlarge-window Make the current window taller. shrink-window Make the current window smaller. C-x } enlarge-window-horizontally Make the window wider. C-x { shrink-window-horizontally Make the window less wide. M-C-v scroll-other-window Scroll the other window. C-x 4 f find-file-other-window Find a file in the other window. C-x 4 b switch-to-buffer-other-window Select a buffer in the other window. compare-windows Compare two buffers and show the first difference. C-x o           other-window                    Select another window (letter "o", not number 0)

12. Special Shell Characters
    
    shell Start a shell. C-c C-c interrupt-shell-subjob Terminate the current job in a shell. C-c C-d send-shell-eof Send the EOF character (Ctrl-d) C-c C-u kill-shell-input Erase the current line. C-c C-w backward-kill-word Erase the previous word. C-c C-z stop-shell-subjob Suspend the current shell job.

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    shell Start a shell. C-c C-c interrupt-shell-subjob Terminate the current job in a shell. C-c C-d send-shell-eof Send the EOF character (Ctrl-d) C-c C-u kill-shell-input Erase the current line. C-c C-w backward-kill-word Erase the previous word. C-c C-z stop-shell-subjob Suspend the current shell job.

13. Indentation Commands
    
    C-x set-fill-prefix Prepend each line in paragrph with characters from beginning of the line up to the current cursor column. cancel by doing this in column 1. M-C-\ indent-region Indent a region to match the first line in region. M-m back-to-indentation Move the cursor to first character in line. M-C-o split-line Split line at cursor into two lines... weird. fill-individual-paragraphs Reformat indented paragraphs, keep indentation.

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    C-x set-fill-prefix Prepend each line in paragrph with characters from beginning of the line up to the current cursor column.  cancel by doing this in column 1. M-C-\ indent-region Indent a region to match the first line in region. M-m back-to-indentation Move the cursor to first character in line. M-C-o split-line Split line at cursor into two lines...  weird. fill-individual-paragraphs Reformat indented paragraphs, keep indentation.

14. Centering Commands
    
    M-s center-line Center the current line. center-paragraph Center the paragraph that the cursor is on. center-region Center the currently defined region.

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    M-s center-line Center the current line. center-paragraph Center the paragraph that the cursor is on. center-region Center the currently defined region.

15. Macro Commands
    
    C-x ( start-kbd-macro Start a new macro definition. C-x ) end-kbd-macro End the current macro definition. C-x e call-last-kbd-macro Execute the last defined macro. M-(number) C-x e call-last-kbd-maco Do that last macro (number times). C-u C-x ( stat-kbd-macro Execute last macro and add to it. name-last-kbd-macro Name the last macro before saving it. insert-last-keyboard-macro Insert the macro you made into a file. load-file Load a file with macros in it. C-x q kbd-macro-query Insert a query into a keyboard macro. M-C-c exit-recursive-edit Get the hell out of a recursive edit.

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    C-x ( start-kbd-macro Start a new macro definition. C-x ) end-kbd-macro End the current macro definition. C-x e call-last-kbd-macro Execute the last defined macro. M-(number) C-x e call-last-kbd-maco Do that last macro (number times). C-u C-x ( stat-kbd-macro Execute last macro and add to it. name-last-kbd-macro Name the last macro before saving it. insert-last-keyboard-macro Insert the macro you made into a file. load-file Load a file with macros in it. C-x q kbd-macro-query Insert a query into a keyboard macro. M-C-c exit-recursive-edit Get the hell out of a recursive edit.

16. Detail Information Help Commands
    
    C-h a command-apropos What commands work like this...? apropos What functions and variables work like this...? C-h c describe-key-briefly What command does this key sequence do? C-h b describe-bindings What are the key bindings for this buffer? C-h k describe-key What command does this sequence do, and tell me about it. C-h l view-lossage What are the last 100 characters typed? C-h w where-is What is the key binding for this? C-h f describe-function What does this function do? C-h v describe-variable What is this variable? C-h m describe-mode Tell me about this mode. C-h s describe-syntax What is the syntax table for this buffer?

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    C-h a command-apropos What commands work like this...? apropos What functions and variables work like this...? C-h c describe-key-briefly What command does this key sequence do? C-h b describe-bindings What are the key bindings for this buffer? C-h k describe-key What command does this sequence do, and tell me about it. C-h l view-lossage What are the last 100 characters typed? C-h w where-is What is the key binding for this? C-h f describe-function What does this function do? C-h v describe-variable What is this variable? C-h m describe-mode Tell me about this mode. C-h s describe-syntax What is the syntax table for this buffer?

You’re welcome.