C-: Hold Control and type whatever character comes after the hyphen
M-: Hold Alt (or tap escape) and type whatever character comes after the hyphen
<DEL>: Backspace
<RET>: Enter|Return
<SPC>: Spacebar - commonly used to activate commands that are disabled by default (ones that may be more harmful than helpful for new users)
Delete: remove character and can't reinsert it
Kill: remove character, but it can be reinserted
Yanking: reinserting killed string
Exit/Cancel/Quit/Stop a command (use this if you mistyped something): C-g
Documentation on current major-mode: C-h m
Switch Major Modes: M-x {insert mode here} some modes include fundamental-mode (programming/text editing) text-mode (prose editing)
Toggle minor modes: M-x {insert mode here} some minor modes include auto-fill-mode
Find File: C-x C-f or space . or :e ~/path/to/file or M-x find-file
- finding a non-existent file will create a new one, finding multiple will open multiple buffers each with one of the files within
Dired: M-x dired dired is a better find file, it opens a file manager in emacs
Refresh Dired: 'g' while in dired
End emacs session: C-x C-c
Adjust line length/margin: C-x f {insert number} The default should be 70
Open/Create a new buffer: C-x b {buffer} where {buffer} is the name of your new buffer, this will also switch to a buffer of that name if there is one
Open/Create a buffer in a new window: C-x 4 b {buffer}
Open/Create a buffer in a new frame: C-x 5 b {buffer}
Save current buffer: C-x C-s
Save all buffers: C-x s
Close current/focused buffer: C-x 0
Close all buffers except the focused one: C-x 1
Select previous buffer: C-x Left where left is left arrow key
Select next buffer: C-x Right
List buffers: C-x C-b
Split screen into 2 windows: C-x 2
- open file in other window: `C-x 4 C-f {insert filename here}`
Switch cursor to other window: C-x o
Scroll other window: C-M-v
Open second frame: C-x 5 2
Close selected frame: C-x 5 0
Open eshell (console/terminal): M-x eshell
- Terminate process in eshell:
C-c C-c
Numeric modifier of commands: C-u + a number | eg (C-u 8 * to insert 8 asterisks)
Undo: C-/ or C-_ of C-x (similar to yank, but you can undo deleted text as well, not just killed text)
Insert non-ascii/unicode characters by name: C-x 8
Next page: C-v
Previous page: M-v
Move to cursor: C-l (1x centers, 2x moves cursor line to top, 3x moves to bottom)
Move cursor up (previous): C-p
Move cursor down (next): C-n
Move cursor forward: C-f
Move cursor backward: C-b
Move cursor forward by a word: M-f
Move cursor back by a word: M-b
Move curser to beginning of line: C-a
Move curser to end of line: C-e
Move cursor to end of sentence: M-e
Move cursor to beginning of sentence: M-a
Search forward: C-s
Search reverse: C-r
Delete the character before the cursor: <DEL>
Delete next character: C-d
Kill word before cursor: M-<DEL>
Kill next word: M-d
Kill to the end of the line: C-k
Kill to the end of the sentence: M-k
Kill spanse of characters: C-<SPC> move cursor to highlight spanse C-w
Copy (kill-ring-save) text: M-w
Yank (paste) killed text: C-y
Cycle through killed lines to yank: M-y
General help menu: C-h ?
Open Emacs help Directory: C-h r
Describe a function: C-h f + {name of function}
List of commands whose name contain {keyword}: C-h a + {keyword}
Help description in mini buffer for command: C-h c + {specific command} eg. C-h c C-p should give back "C-p runs the command previous-line"
Open help window for {specific command}: C-h k + {specific command}
Scroll help window: C-M-v
Read included manuals(manuals for packages installed on system): C-h i
Identify recursive editing level: Mode line will have square brackets around major mode. eg. [(Fundamental)] instead of (Fundamental)
Exit recursive editing level: <ESC> <ESC> <ESC>