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Emacs editing environment, Part 7: Let Emacs help you out

Get editing assistance right from the editor

Michael Stutz, Author, Consultant

Michael Stutz is author of The Linux Cookbook, which he also designed and typeset using only open source software. His research interests include digital publishing and the future of the book. He has used various UNIX operating systems for 20 years.

Summary: Part 7 of this series shows you why Emacs is the self-documenting editor, and the many ways in which you can take advantage of the help and assistance offered in this editor. In this tutorial, learn about describing keystrokes, commands, and functions. You'll also read, browse, and search through a complete Emacs reference manual.

View more content in this series

Date: 13 Nov 2007
Level: Intermediate

Activity: 18379 views
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Summary

Get help on help

As in the List all the key bindings that begin with a given prefix section, you can use the C-h Emacs help key as a postfix to get help on C-h itself.

Try it: Type C-h C-h.

Doing so runs the Emacs help-for-help function, which opens a new *Help* buffer containing all the Emacs help commands. As in an Info node, you can press Spacebar and Backspace to scroll forward and backward through the buffer, or you can use the initial of a help command to run that command. Press Q to exit this Help menu.

Summary of Emacs help commands

Table 5 lists all the Emacs help commands and describes their functions.

Table 5. Summary of Emacs help commands

Keystroke	Function	Description
	`apropos`	This command gives a list of `apropos` commands and variables to a given regexp.
	`open-dribble-file`	This command opens a specified file and dribbles a copy of all keyboard input to that file.
Tab		This command performs command completion if given as part of a command, showing all possible input values for the given command.
`command prefix` or `keystroke C-h`		This command describes all possible commands and functions available for the given command prefix or keystroke.
`C-h C-c`	`describe-copying`	This command views the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL).
`C-h C-d`	`describe-distribution`	This command views information on obtaining a copy of the latest distribution of the Emacs software.
`C-h C-p`	`describe-project`	This command views an essay by Richard Stallman concerning the founding of the GNU Project.
`C-h C-w`	`describe-no-warranty`	This command views the "NO WARRANTY" section of the GNU GPL.
`C-h a regexp`	`command-apropos`	This command gives a list of apropos commands to regexp.
`C-h b`	`describe-bindings`	This command describes all valid key bindings for the current major mode in a new help buffer window.
`C-h c keystroke`	`describe-key-briefly`	This command reports in the minibuffer the name of function that keystroke is bound to.
`C-h F`	`view-emacs-faq`	This command views the Emacs FAQ Info document.
`C-h f function`	`describe-function`	This command describes the purpose of function in a new help buffer window.
`C-h k keystroke`	`describe-key`	This command opens a new help buffer window that describes the function that keystroke is bound to.
`C-h l`	`view-lossage`	This command opens a new buffer, and displays the last 100 characters typed.
`C-h n`	`view-emacs-news`	This command views news concerning the latest changes in the current version of Emacs.
`C-h P`	`view-emacs-problems`	This command views the Emacs problems file.
`C-h t`	`help-with-tutorial`	This command opens a hands-on tutorial for learning the basics of Emacs.
`C-h v variable`	`describe-variable`	This command describes the purpose of variable in a new help buffer window.
`C-h w function`	`where-is`	This command describes which keyboard binding (if any) a particular function is bound to.

Wrap-up

Emacs is a large and complex application and, as you've just seen, it has a built-in help system to match. You've learned how to use it, getting Emacs to help you at every level: identifying keystrokes, commands, and functions; giving you lists of meaningful, possible, and appropriate commands; presenting the Emacs manual that you can browse with the built-in documentation system; and showing you the other informative files that come with Emacs.

After this, you know enough about getting automatic assistance whenever you're stuck, so the next time it happens, you can ask Emacs to help you out.

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