In Emacs, there's a command describe-bindings
【F1 b】.
By default, there are a total of 1353 bindings.
In this page, let's look at what they are.
(you can get the list by calling describe-bindings in emacs, or see this file:
gnu_emacs_keybinding.txt.)
Many of the bindings refer to keys on lisp machine keyboard. So, here's a photo of lisp keyboard for reference.
(For more photos of Lisp Machine keyboards, see: Space-cadet Keyboard and Lisp Machine Keyboards.)
There are 48 keys with <help> notation.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_help.txt)
Example:
<help> help-command <help> C-a about-emacs <help> C-c describe-copying <help> C-d view-emacs-debugging <help> C-e view-external-packages <help> C-f view-emacs-FAQ … <help> i info <help> k describe-key <help> l view-lossage <help> m describe-mode
The Help is a key on lisp keyboard, but also on many other keyboards, including NeXT Machine, Sun Microsystem's Keyboard, and older Apple keyboard. See: Source www.pfu.fujitsu.com.
Then there are 48 keys with <f1> notation.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_f1.txt)
Example:
<f1> help-command <f1> C-a about-emacs <f1> C-c describe-copying <f1> C-d view-emacs-debugging <f1> C-e view-external-packages <f1> C-f view-emacs-FAQ … <f1> i info <f1> k describe-key <f1> l view-lossage <f1> m describe-mode
There are also 48 keys with C-h notation.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_C-h.txt)
C-h help-command C-h C-a about-emacs C-h C-c describe-copying C-h C-d view-emacs-debugging C-h C-e view-external-packages C-h C-f view-emacs-FAQ … C-h i info C-h k describe-key C-h l view-lossage C-h m describe-mode
All these are equivalent maps. (That is: F1 = Help = 【Ctrl+h】) It's interesting to note that these do not seem to be key translations. Instead, each binding is defined explicitly in each set.
There are 138 bindings for C-x 8.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_C-x_8.txt)
Sample:
C-x 8 < « C-x 8 = ¯ C-x 8 > » C-x 8 ? ¿ C-x 8 C © C-x 8 L £ C-x 8 P ¶ C-x 8 R ® C-x 8 S § C-x 8 Y ¥ C-x 8 ^ Prefix Command
These are for inputting special symbols, ⁖ ¿ ¡ ¢ £ ¥ ¤ § ¶ ® © ª «» × ÷ ¬ ° ± µ ÀÁÂÃÄÅÆ Ç ÈÉÊË ÌÍÎÏ ÐÑ ÒÓÔÕÖ ØÙÚÛÜÝÞß àáâãäåæç èéêë ìíîï ðñòóôõö øùúûüýþÿ. 〔☛ Emacs ＆ Unicode Tips〕
There are 204 with the C-x notation.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_C-x.txt)
Example:
C-x C-@ pop-global-mark C-x C-b list-buffers C-x C-c save-buffers-kill-terminal C-x C-d list-directory C-x C-e eval-last-sexp C-x C-f find-file C-x TAB indent-rigidly … C-x $ set-selective-display C-x ' expand-abbrev C-x ( kmacro-start-macro C-x ) kmacro-end-macro C-x * calc-dispatch C-x + balance-windows C-x - shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer C-x . set-fill-prefix C-x 0 delete-window C-x 1 delete-other-windows C-x 2 split-window-vertically … C-x a Prefix Command C-x b switch-to-buffer C-x d dired C-x e kmacro-end-and-call-macro C-x f set-fill-column C-x h mark-whole-buffer … C-x <C-left> previous-buffer C-x <C-right> next-buffer C-x <left> previous-buffer C-x <right> next-buffer C-x C-k C-a kmacro-add-counter C-x C-k C-c kmacro-set-counter C-x C-k C-d kmacro-delete-ring-head C-x C-k C-e kmacro-edit-macro-repeat C-x C-k C-f kmacro-set-format …
The 【Ctrl+x …】 is a generic prefix for frequently used commands that are useful globally. This one is most familiar to emacs users. Note: another combo familiar to most emacs users is 【Ctrl+c …】. It is for mode-specific commands, not shown on this page because you need to be in a specific major mode.
There are 38 keys for view-mode.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_view-mode.txt)
They are almost all single symbol keys. Example:
0 .. 9 digit-argument < beginning-of-buffer = what-line > end-of-buffer ? describe-mode @ View-back-to-mark C View-kill-and-leave E View-exit-and-edit F View-revert-buffer-scroll-page-forward H describe-mode Q View-quit-all
There are 36 bindings with notation C-M-.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_C-M-.txt)
Example:
<C-M-down> down-list <C-M-end> end-of-defun <C-M-home> beginning-of-defun <C-M-left> backward-sexp <C-M-right> forward-sexp <C-M-up> backward-up-list C-M-@ mark-sexp C-M-a beginning-of-defun C-M-b backward-sexp C-M-c exit-recursive-edit C-M-d down-list C-M-j indent-new-comment-line C-M-k kill-sexp
These are designed to navigate/edit lisp code. 〔☛ How to Edit Lisp Code with Emacs〕
Note the M- is the syntax for Meta key. It is a key on Lisp keyboards. Today, by default, the Alt key on PC keyboards is interpreted as Meta.
C- (excluding C-h, C-x). (gnu_emacs_keybinding_C-.txt)M-. (gnu_emacs_keybinding_M-.txt)ESC. (gnu_emacs_keybinding_esc.txt)Some of the Ctrl definitions is Ctrl with mouse button.
There are 137 bindings starting with the notation A-.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_A-.txt)
Here's a sample:
A-< « A-= ¯ A-> » A-? ¿ A-C © A-L £ A-P ¶ A-R ® A-S § A-Y ¥ A-^ Prefix Command
These are Alt key bindings. This keybinding set is identical to 【Ctrl+x 8】 (gnu_emacs_keybinding_C-x_8.txt), except there's no 【Alt Enter ↵】 corresponding to 【Ctrl+x 8 Enter ↵】.
Note that emacs interpret Alt as Meta by default, so these A- bindings have no effect. However, you can still type Alt by 【Ctrl+x @ a】.
((info "(emacs) Modifier Keys"))
Or, on Windows, set
(setq w32-alt-is-meta nil).
((info "(emacs) Windows Keyboard"))
Some notes about Alt key and inputting special symbols:
There are 226 bindings with the notation of dead- in it.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_dead.txt)
Example:
<S-dead-acute> Prefix Command <dead-acute> Prefix Command <S-dead-tilde> A Ã <S-dead-asciitilde> A Ã <dead-tilde> A Ã <S-dead-grave> A À <dead-grave> A À <S-dead-circumflex> 1 ¹ <S-dead-circum> 1 ¹ <S-dead-asciicircum> 1 ¹ <dead-circumflex> 1 ¹ <dead-circum> 1 ¹ <dead-asciicircum> 1 ¹ <S-dead-acute> A Á <dead-acute> A Á <S-dead-diaeresis> A Ä <dead-diaeresis> A Ä
These are binding for Dead key for entering chars with Diacritic marks. A dead key is a modifier key similar in concept to Alt Graph key, except that it doesn't produce a char until another key is pressed. Dead key are used to enter chars such as: à è ì ò ù á é í ó ú â ê î ô û ä ë ï ö ü.
Many European language layout have dead keys. See: International Keyboard Layouts.
On the Mac, 【⌥ Opt+e】 is a dead key. It adds the acute mark to any letter typed after.
Here's example of letters with diacritic and their names.
Note that the S- is the notation for the ⇧ Shift key. So, <S-dead-tilde> A would be 【⇧ Shift+dead ~+A】.
(Thanks to Frédéric Perrin, Jason Rummey, Nei, for help.)
(For some notes about accent marks, see: Diacritics: Trema, Umlaut, Macron, Circumflex, and All That.)
There's also 70 keys with the notation of mute-, similar to the “dead” above.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_mute.txt)
Not sure what they are.
There are 56 bindings for the keys on the numberical keypad. They have notation kp-.
(gnu_emacs_keybinding_kp-.txt)
Example:
<C-S-kp-1> <C-S-end> <C-S-kp-2> <C-S-down> <C-S-kp-3> <C-S-next> … <M-kp-next> <M-next> <S-kp-down> <S-down> <S-kp-end> <S-end> <S-kp-home> <S-home> <S-kp-left> <S-left> <S-kp-next> <S-next> … <kp-0> 0 <kp-1> 1 <kp-2> 2 … <kp-add> + <kp-decimal> . <kp-delete> C-d <kp-divide> / <kp-down> <down> <kp-end> <end>
All these are key translations. They do not do anything special.
For example, keypad 0 is the same as the 0 key on the main typing area.
So, the code <kp-0> translates to 0.
When Num Lock is off, the 4 key on numpad is the ← key. So, the code <S-kp-left> (which means holding down ⇧ Shift then pressing the ← on the numpad) simply translates to
<S-left>.
Here's some special keys, such as {F1, ↖ Home, ↘ End, Tab ↹, Enter ↵, ❖ Win, ▤ Menu, ⇞ Page △, ⇟ Page ▽, …}. (gnu_emacs_keybinding_function_keys.txt) Example:
<escape> ESC TAB forward-button <backtab> backward-button <backspace> DEL <return> RET <tab> TAB <home> move-beginning-of-line <end> move-end-of-line <insert> overwrite-mode <delete> C-d <prior> scroll-down <next> scroll-up <lwindow> ignore <rwindow> ignore <menu> execute-extended-command <right> forward-char <left> backward-char <up> previous-line <down> next-line <f3> kmacro-start-macro-or-insert-counter <f4> kmacro-end-or-call-macro <f10> menu-bar-open <f16> clipboard-kill-ring-save <f18> clipboard-yank <f20> clipboard-kill-region
Note: Syntax such as {RET, TAB, DEL, ESC, …}, are actual ASCII characters. While {<return>, <tab>, <delete>, <escape>, …} are keys.
Note the {F16, F18, F20}. Some keyboards have function keys up to 24 of them.
Here's the rest of the keys: gnu_emacs_keybinding_rest.txt.
<mouse-1> mouse-set-point <mouse-2> help-follow-mouse <mouse-3> mouse-save-then-kill <wheel-down> mwheel-scroll <wheel-up> mwheel-scroll <mouse-movement> ignore <S-down-mouse-1> mouse-appearance-menu <S-mouse-3> kmacro-end-call-mouse <S-wheel-down> mwheel-scroll <S-wheel-up> mwheel-scroll <double-mouse-1> mouse-set-point <triple-mouse-1> mouse-set-point <down-mouse-1> mouse-drag-region <drag-mouse-1> mouse-set-region <drag-n-drop> w32-drag-n-drop
<again> repeat-complex-command <redo> repeat-complex-command <undo> undo <copy> clipboard-kill-ring-save <cut> clipboard-kill-region <paste> clipboard-yank <execute> execute-extended-command <open> find-file <find> search-forward <begin> beginning-of-buffer <compose-last-chars> compose-last-chars <language-change> ignore <backtab> backward-button <S-insertchar> yank <delete-frame> handle-delete-frame <deletechar> delete-char <deleteline> kill-line
Some of these keys can be seen on Sun Microsystem's keyboard. (alas, Sun just died a year ago.)
<header-line> Prefix Command
<iconify-frame> ignore-event
<insertchar> overwrite-mode
<insertline> open-line
<left-fringe> Prefix Command
<make-frame-visible> ignore-event
<mode-line> Prefix Command
<right-fringe> Prefix Command
<select-window> handle-select-window
<switch-frame> handle-switch-frame
<vertical-line> Prefix Command
<vertical-scroll-bar> Prefix Command
<vertical-line> <down-mouse-1> mouse-drag-vertical-line
<vertical-line> <mouse-1> mouse-select-window
mouse-split-window-vertically
<vertical-scroll-bar> <mouse-1>
scroll-bar-toolkit-scroll
<header-line> <down-mouse-1> mouse-drag-header-line
<header-line> <mouse-1> mouse-select-window
<mode-line> <down-mouse-1> mouse-drag-mode-line
<mode-line> <drag-mouse-1> mouse-select-window
<mode-line> <mouse-1> mouse-select-window
<mode-line> <mouse-2> mouse-delete-other-windows
<mode-line> <mouse-3> mouse-delete-window
These may not be actual keys. When emacs define actions for mouse or menu, it defines a pseudo-key with keyboard syntax.
So <mode-line> <mouse-1> means clicking on the mode line.
<vertical-scroll-bar> <mouse-1> means clicking on the scroll bar.
Curiously, there's no definition for Super s- and Hyper H- keys. These are the other prominent keys on lisp keyboard other than Meta M-.
〔☛ Emacs: How to define Super ＆ Hyper Keys〕