-*- mode:outline; coding:latin-1 -*-

Emacs Tips

* Abbreviations, expansion, run region through filter

`M-/'
     Expand the word in the buffer before point as a "dynamic abbrev",
     by searching in the buffer for words starting with that
     abbreviation (`dabbrev-expand').

`C-M-/'
     Complete the word before point as a dynamic abbrev
     (`dabbrev-completion').


* Editing 

`C-x C-l'
   `downcase-region'
`C-x C-u'
    `upcase-region'

** Manipulate text in region by an external command

`M-1 M-|' 
or
`M-1 M-x shell-command-on-region'

run region through filter, replace region by the output of the external
command (M-| with numeric argument)


** Join lines/split lines

Join this line to previous and fix up whitespace at join.
    `join-lines'

Split current line, moving portion beyond point vertically down:
`C-M o'
    `split-line'

* Navigation within emacs

** Scroll only one line when I move past the bottom of the screen
    Place the following Lisp form in your `.emacs' file:

    (setq scroll-step 1)

** Show only lines which are not indented
`C-x $'
    `set-selective-display' to arg
    arg: lines with text beginning in arg'th column become invisible, clear
    with no arg


** Problems with syntax highlighting

`ARG M-x font-lock-fontify-block'
`ARG M-g M-g'


* Problems with encoding

** Enforce Latin-1 or UTF-8 coding 

 %% Local Variables:
 %% coding: latin-1
 %% End:

oder

Local Variables:
coding: latin-1
End:

another option: write into the first line of the file:

-*- coding:latin-1 -*-

This issue is descibed in "Local variables in files" of the emacs
documentation.

** Change encoding 

`M-x set-language-environment latin-1'

or

`M-x set-language-environment utf-8'

or

`C-x <RET> l latin-1'

You may also select the menu option

Options, Mule, Set language environment utf-8

** Obtain information about the current encoding

`M-x describe-current-coding-system'

* Lisp

** Load a library

`M-x load-library'

** Byte compile an elisp file

`M-x byte-compile-file' 
then emacs prompts you for the file name

** Evaluate elisp expressions

Put cursor after Emacs Lisp code and execute

`M-x eval-last-sexp'

or

`C-x C-e'

test this with:

(+ 12 14)

if you wish to get the result printed into the buffer:

`C-u C-x C-e'


** Calculating with Emacs Lisp

*** formatting strings

The printf equivalent in Emacs Lisp is `format', e. g. calculate 2/7 with four
digits precision:

(format "Result %.4f" (/ 2 7.0)) 


** Configure Emacs with .emacs

(setq make-backup-files nil)
(desktop-load-default)
(desktop-read)
(mouse-wheel-mode t)
(setq visible-bell t)
(setq-default truncate-lines t)
(setq-default fill-column 78)
(auto-fill-mode t)
;; show column numbers in status line
(column-number-mode t)


;; from Camerin, Rosenblatt, Raymond: Learning GNU Emacs, 2nd ed. p. 392
(setq load-path (append load-path (list "~/emacs-scripts"))) 


** Spelling

Change the dictionary
`M-x ispell-change-dictionary'

Switch to flyspell-mode
`M-x flyspell-mode'

* Appearance of emacs buffers

** Whitespace-mode

`M-x whitespace-mode'


* Miscellanea

** Save minibuffer-history 

`M-x savehist-mode'


Volker Kiefel
last change: March 28, 2010