This section gives details of commands used to move the current point (indicated by the cursor) around the buffer.
The use of prefix arguments with this set of commands can be very useful, as they allow you to get where you want to go faster. In general, using a negative prefix argument repeats these commands a certain number of times in the opposite logical direction. For example, the command Ctrl+U 10 Ctrl+B moves the cursor 10 characters backwards, but the command Ctrl+U -10 Ctrl+B moves the cursor 10 characters forward.
Some movement commands may behave slightly differently in different modes as delimiter characters may vary.
To help you keep track of places you have visited, commands which are likely move the point some distance record their starting point as a location. This location can later be revisited by the commands listed in 3.10 Locations.
Forward Character Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+F or Right
Moves the current point forward one character.
Backward Character Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+B or Left
Moves the current point backward one character.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+F
Moves the current point forward one word.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+B
Moves the current point backward one word.
Beginning of Line Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+A
Moves the current point to the beginning of the current line.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+E
Moves the current point to the end of the current line.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+N or Down
Moves the current point down one line. If that would be after the end of the line, the current point is moved to the end of the line instead.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+P or Up
Moves the current point up one line. If that would be after the end of the line, the current point is moved to the end of the line instead.
Arguments: number
Key sequence: None
Moves to the line numbered number.
Records the starting location (see 3.10 Locations).
Arguments: None.
Key sequence: None
Prints in the Echo Area the line number of the current point.
Forward Sentence Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+E
Moves the current point to the end of the current sentence. If the current point is already at the end of a sentence, it is moved to the end of the next sentence.
Backward Sentence Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+A
Moves the current point to the start of the current sentence. If the current point is already at the start of a sentence, it is moved to the beginning of the previous sentence.
Forward Paragraph Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+]
Moves the current point to the end of the current paragraph. If the current point is already at the end of a paragraph, then it is moved to the end of the next paragraph.
Backward Paragraph Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+[
Moves the current point to the start of the current paragraph. If the current point is already at the start of a paragraph, then it is moved to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
Scroll Window Down Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+V
editor:scroll-window-down-command p &optional window
Changes the text that is being displayed to be one screenful forward, minus scroll-overlap. If the current point is no longer included in the new text, it is moved to the start of the line nearest to the centre of the window.
A prefix argument causes the current screen to be scrolled up the number of lines specified and that number of new lines are shown at the bottom of the window.
The argument window is the name of the window to be scrolled. The default is the current window.
Scroll Window Up Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+V
editor:scroll-window-up-command p &optional window
Changes the text that is being displayed to be one screenful back, minus scroll-overlap. If the current point is no longer included in the new text, it is moved to the start of the line nearest to the centre of the window.
A prefix argument causes the current screen to be scrolled down the number of lines specified and that number of new lines are shown at the top of the window.
The argument window is the name of the window to be scrolled. The default is the current window.
scroll-overlap Editor Variable
Default value: 1
Determines the number of lines of overlap when Scroll Window Down and Scroll Window Up are used with no prefix argument.
Line to Top of Window Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: None
Moves the current line to the top of the window.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: None
Moves the current point to the start of the first line currently displayed in the window.
Bottom of Window Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: None
Moves the current point to the start of the last line that is currently displayed in the window.
Move to Window Line Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+Shift+R
Without a prefix argument, moves the current point to the start of the center line in the window.
With a positive (negative) integer prefix argument p, moves the point to the start of the pth line from the top (bottom) of the window.
Beginning of Buffer Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+Shift+<
Moves the current point to the beginning of the current buffer.
Records the initial location (see 3.10 Locations).
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Meta+Shift+>
Moves the current point to the end of the current buffer.
Records the initial location (see 3.10 Locations).
Beginning of Buffer Preserving Point Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence in macOS editor emulation: Home
The command Beginning of Buffer Preserving Point scrolls the current window to the beginning of the buffer, without moving the buffer point.
End of Buffer Preserving Point Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence in macOS editor emulation: End
The command End of Buffer Preserving Point scrolls the current window to the end of the buffer, without moving the buffer point.
Beginning of Window Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+Prior
The command Beginning of Window moves the buffer point to the beginning of the window.
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Ctrl+Next
The command End of Window moves the buffer point to the end of the last line that is fully displayed.
Skip Whitespace Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: None
Skips to the next non-whitespace character if the current character is a whitespace character (for example, Space, Tab or newline).
Arguments: point
Key sequence: None
Moves the current point to point, where point is a character position in the current buffer.
Scroll Window Down Preserving Highlight Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Shift+Next
The command Scroll Window Down Preserving Highlight is the same as Scroll Window Down except that if there is a highlight region it is extended to the new position of the point rather than unhighlighted.
Scroll Window Up Preserving Highlight Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence: Shift+Prior
The command Scroll Window Up Preserving Highlight is the same as Scroll Window Up except that if there is a highlight region it is extended to the new position of the point rather than unhighlighted.
Scroll Window Down In Place
Scroll Window Up In Place Editor Commands
Arguments: None
Key sequence: None
The commands Scroll Window Down In Place and Scroll Window Up In Place scroll the window up or down, keeping the point in the same place on the screen as much as possible.
Without a prefix argument, scrolls one line. With a prefix argument, scrolls that many lines.
Note: These commands differ from other Scroll Window... commands in that, by default, they scroll one line rather than whole pages. They also retain any highlight.
Scroll Window Up Moving Point Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence in Microsoft Windows editor emulation: Prior
Key sequence in macOS editor emulation: Ctrl+Prior
The command Scroll Window Up Moving Point scrolls the window up. If the current point is not in the newly-displayed text, it is moved appropriately, trying to keep it in the same place on the screen.
Without a prefix argument, it scrolls by the window height less scroll-overlap. With a prefix argument p, the current window is scrolled p lines and p new lines are shown at the top.
Scroll Window Down Moving Point Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence in Microsoft Windows editor emulation: Next
Key sequence in macOS editor emulation: Ctrl+Next
The command Scroll Window Down Moving Point scrolls the window down. If the current point is not in the newly-displayed text, it is moved appropriately, trying to keep it in the same place on the screen.
Without a prefix argument, it scrolls by the window height less scroll-overlap. With a prefix argument p, the current window is scrolled p lines and p new lines are shown at the bottom.
Scroll Window Up Preserving Point Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence in macOS editor emulation: Ctrl+Up or Prior
The command Scroll Window Up Preserving Point is the same as Scroll Window Up except that, when the editor emulation does not force the point to be visible (Microsoft Windows and macOS), it does not move the point when it becomes invisible.
Scroll Window Down Preserving Point Editor Command
Arguments: None
Key sequence in macOS editor emulation: Ctrl+Down or Next
The command Scroll Window Down Preserving Point is the same as Scroll Window Down except that, when the emulation does not force the point to be visible (Microsoft Windows and macOS), it does not move the point when it becomes invisible.
Editor User Guide (Macintosh version) - 01 Dec 2021 19:35:09