Starting Emacs
To enter Emacs , just type its name: emacs
To read in a file to edit, see Files below.
Leaving Emacs
Suspend Emacs C-z
Exit Emacs C-x C-c
Files
Read a file into Emacs C-x C-f
Save a file back to disk C-x C-s
Save all files C-x s
Insert content of another file into this buffer C-x i
Replace this file with the file you really want C-x C-v
Write buffer to a specified file C-x C-w
Error Recovery
Abort partially typed or excuting command C-g
Recover a file lost by a system crash M-x recover-file
Undo an unwanted change C-x u
Restore a buffer to its original buffer M-x revert-buffer
Redraw garbaged screen C-l
Incremental Search
Search forward C-s
Search backward C-r
Regular expression search C-M-s
Reverse regular expression search C-M-r
Exit incremental search RET
Abort current search C-g
Buffers
Select another buffer C-x b
List all buffers C-x C-b
Kill a buffer C-x k
Transposing
Transpose characters C-t
Transpose words M-t
Transpose lines C-x C-t
Transpose sexps C-M-t
Shells
Execute a shell command M-!
Run a shell command on the region M-|
Filter region through a shell command C-u M-|
Start a shell in window shell M-x shell
Motion
Entity to move over backward forward
Character C-b C-f
Word M-b M-f
Line C-p C-n
Go to line beginning(or end) C-a C-e
Sentence M-a M-e
Paragraph M-{ M-}
Page C-x [ C-x ]
Sexp C-M-b C-M-f
Function C-M-a C-M-e
Go to buffer beginning(or end) M-< M->
Scroll to next screen C-V
Scroll to previous screen M-v
scroll current line to center of screen C-u C-l
Killing and Deleting
Entity to kill backward forward
Character (delete, not kill) DEL C-d
Word M-DEL M-d
Line C-k
Sentence C-x DEL M-k
Kill region C-w
Kill through next occurrence of char M-z char
Yank back last thing killed C-y
Marking
Set mark here C-shift-SPC
Exchange point and mark C-x C-x
Set mark paragraph M-h
Set mark page C-x C-p
Mark function C-M-h
Mark entire buffer C-x h
Query and Replace
Interactively replace a text string M-%
Using regular expressions M-x query-replace-regexp
Valid response in query-replace mode are:
Replace this one, go on to next SPC
Replace this one, don’t move ,
Skip to next without replacing DEL
Replace all remaining matches !
Back up to the previous match ^
Exit query-replace ESC
Register
Save region in register C-x r s
Insert register contents into buffer C-x r i
Save value of point in register C-x r SPC
Just to point saved in register C-x r j
Multiple windows
Delete all other windows C-x 1
Delete this window C-x 0
Split window in two vertically C-x 2
Split window in two horizontally C-x 3
Scroll other window C-M-v
Switch cursor to another window C-x o
Shrink window shorter M-x shrink-window
Grow window taller C-x ^
Shrink window narrow C-x {
Grow window wider C-x }
Select buffer in another window C-x 4 b
Display buffer in other window C-x 4 C-o
Find file in other window C-x 4 f
Find file read-only in other window C-x 4 r
Run dired in other window C-x 4 d
Find tag in other window C-x 4 .
Formatting
Indent current line TAB
Indent region C-M-\
Insert new line after point C-o
Move rest of line vertically down C-M-o
Case Change
Uppercase word M-u
Lowercase word M-l
Capitalize word M-c
Uppercase region C-x C-u
Lowercase region C-x C-l
Capitalize region M-x capitalize-region
The Minibuffer
The following keys are defined in the minibuffer.
Complete as much as possible TAB
Complete up to one word SPC
Complete and execute RET
Show possible completions ?
Abort command C-g