Questions tagged [help]
Questions about using the built-in help system in Emacs or how to find help.
170
questions
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2
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How can I find the face of the items in the headeline in lsp-mode?
Re-edited the answer for clarity
Typically I would put my cursor over the text, and call M-x describe-face, but I can't do that with the headerline.
In the above screenshot, I want to change the ...
- 1,548
0
votes
0
answers
21
views
Helm see options for opening a file
I'm new to emacs and using Spacemacs. I pressed SPC f r t of find recent files and I used the arrow keys to select the one I want. Now I want to see what options I have for opening it (open in ...
- 113
3
votes
3
answers
197
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Which commands/functions/processes are run on keyboard input S-<right>?
Emacs help shown using C-h k S-<right> states only:
<right> (translated from S-<right>) runs the command right-char (found
in global-map), which is an interactive byte-compiled Lisp ...
- 350
3
votes
2
answers
182
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Check if there are marked files in dired buffer
How can I check, with a function, if there are marked files in a dired buffer?
Edit. The issue with dired-get-marked-files is that if the user moves the cursor on a "current file name" the ...
- 1,189
1
vote
1
answer
32
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What is the default value of TRY-VSCROLL in `(previous-line &optional ARG TRY-VSCROLL)`?
The documentation shown with Ctrl h k up states:
<up> runs the command previous-line (found in global-map), which is an
interactive byte-compiled Lisp function in ‘simple.el’.
It is bound to C-...
- 350
2
votes
0
answers
35
views
Inconsistency between read-key and read-key-sequence-vector w.r.t. conditional application of local-function-key-map translations
While working with read-key-sequence-vector and read-key, I found that the former applies the local-function-key-map translations in a conditional manner but the latter does not. I am using Emacs 28.1 ...
- 161
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3
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78
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How to get help on a symbol at point with [F1]?
Pressing the F1 key with a cursor/point at an elisp symbol in code I want to view the *Help* related to this symbol, but pressing F1 does not result in rising the appropriate help buffer.
Is there a ...
- 350
0
votes
1
answer
29
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Fetch necessary function call arguments in Emacs
I started writing code in Emacs some days ago and i'm doing very well, however, a very difficult and boring situation is always annoying me, that is the moment of call a function written by me. To ...
0
votes
2
answers
55
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emacs command window is too small
When I C-x to show the list of commands, the window of commands is chopped like below
how can I make it show the full?
0
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0
answers
44
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How to open package list in emacs
The question is simple as Opening package list in emacs on macOS, I knew everywhere is Type M-x list-packages to open the package list., but it's just not working for me
brew install emacs
Start ...
- 101
2
votes
1
answer
123
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What does `nil` as second argument do in `write-file` command?
In a previous question I asked how to add a "Save as" button to the toolbar:
Add Save as button to org mode toolbar
and got a great answer:
(tool-bar-add-item-from-menu 'write-file "...
- 149
1
vote
2
answers
102
views
How to find Emacs Lisp Org Mode functions
How can I find Org Mode emacs lisp functions like org-current-level which is used in the answer for Org subtree from yasnippet?
I looked for the command in the Org Mode Manual but didn't find it there....
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
30
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Getting `help-xref-button: Wrong type argument: symbolp, (lambda ...)' when using `describe-key' with `describe-function-1' in `help+20'
When using describe-key, the following block from the help+20 package, in the describe-function-1 function:
(help-xref-button 1 #'(lambda (arg)
(let ((location
...
- 123
0
votes
1
answer
26
views
How to get the value of an evaluated function and nothing else?
In emacs, when I evaluate an elisp function, I get the value plus other stuff.
For example, if I evaluate (+ 2 2), I get this:
4 (#04, #x4, ?\C-d)
How can I setup emacs to just return 4?
- 263
4
votes
4
answers
382
views
How to list all the keybindings with the same prefix key?
How to list all keybindings that have same prefix?
For example, M-g M-g is bound to goto-line.
How to list all the keybindings that have the prefix M-g?
- 435
2
votes
1
answer
101
views
Use echo area to show which faces are applied to text at point?
When writing a color theme, it would be helpful if the echo area showed which faces are applied to the text at point.
I know I could use C-u C-x = to call what-cursor-position, but that requires ...
- 1,898
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votes
0
answers
14
views
Can the display of describe-function, describe-variable be advised or tracked in some way?
I want to link additional topics to the search terms by adding links to the answer if the item is linked with other related terms.
For instance if I do a search for the function symbol, I want intern, ...
- 1,317
1
vote
1
answer
26
views
What is the optional `BUFFER` argument to `describe-symbol` for?
I'm trying to add additional contextual help information to describe-function, describe-variable etc, and I notice that describe-symbol has the option to take a buffer as a parameter.
When I try (...
- 1,317
2
votes
4
answers
124
views
Reading Common Lisp Source Code Inside Emacs?
I think emacs is just brilliant. The help functionality with C-h is extremely useful.
Recently, I started coding in SB Common Lisp.
It would be very useful if I could search the definitions of ...
- 263
1
vote
1
answer
45
views
Given a key, find command that Emacs binds by default
If I've created custom keybindings, possibly overriding some Emacs default keybindings, is there a way to determine what command a given key would be bound to by default (i.e. if I hadn't overridden ...
- 1,898
0
votes
1
answer
60
views
Link in the documentation of a function
Although I have the function mdoc to add to the documentation, I do not find it very convenient to add to the documentation after defining the function.
Rather, I would like to see how links in the ...
- 455
0
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3
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100
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emacs org mode how to learn syntax and a tool-bar-add-item-from-menu syntax question
Thru another post:
Add Save as button to org mode toolbar
I was happy to get a solution:
(tool-bar-add-item-from-menu 'write-file "save" nil
:label "Save As&...
- 149
0
votes
1
answer
32
views
Keys for use during `completing-read`
Am having difficulty finding information about the keys that can be used during completing-read.
- 455
3
votes
1
answer
76
views
interactive function: Meaning of Does not do I/O
I'm going through the documentation for the interactive function and there are some code letters which are documented like this:
d -- Value of point as number. Does not do I/O.
P -- Prefix arg in raw ...
- 3,583
5
votes
2
answers
278
views
What exactly are keys like `<copy>`, `<paste>` etc (CUA not enabled)?
I see these keybindings sometimes in the help docs. E.g. from C-h f clipboard-kill-ring-save
It is bound to <copy>, <f16>
So, what might this be on my keyboard assuming I do not have CUA ...
- 217
1
vote
1
answer
92
views
List definitions for a package?
Is there a way to list definitions for a package? (functions, macros, variables for e.g.).
Once a package is loaded, is there a way to retrieve a list of what it defined?
So for example: (list-...
- 8,187
2
votes
1
answer
147
views
Which byte-compile-file is my Emacs using? Function signature in describe-function differs to that in bytecomp.el
After reviewing some functions in my own dot-emacs files, I've noticed that the function signature that describe-function shows for byte-compile-file differs to that for the function definition in the ...
- 60
0
votes
1
answer
255
views
Use of cl-defun
What is a use case for cl-defun, where defun wouldn't work or would be hard to work with? I am using it to count the number of opening and closing bracemarks.
(cl-defun rk-bracemark-count-from-...
- 199
2
votes
3
answers
157
views
How can I quit windows like *Help* and *Messages* without first selecting them?
I find myself running C-h k/f/v and after reading the popup that's in the other window, going to that window and closing it. Is there a way to streamline that process a bit more (maybe adding a hook ...
- 952
1
vote
1
answer
46
views
Why does `C-h b` show `??` as the command name for my key binding?
I've just added a nice custom key binding:
;; Open files in dired mode using 'open'
(eval-after-load "dired"
'(progn
(define-key dired-mode-map (kbd "z")
(lambda () (...
- 125
2
votes
2
answers
201
views
What is the name of the face that appears in this list of company completions?
If I have company-mode enabled, and I type in company like this.
(company)
I then see a list of completions that I can select. My question is - apart from the currently selected item, the word ...
- 371
1
vote
1
answer
76
views
How to know whether a local keybinding map exists (for a given package) and its name
I was wondering if we can know whether a given package has a local map of keybindings. For example, I'd like to bind the function pdf-occur of the pdf-tools package by using the use-package macro. ...
- 89
3
votes
3
answers
287
views
`C-h` without knowing the type of an object
When someone use the Emacs inbuild help via C-h she/he has to know and understand if the object of interest is a function (C-h f), a variable (C-h v), a package (C-h p) or something else.
The ...
- 679
0
votes
1
answer
155
views
Default yank keyboard shortcut does not work
I am using Emacs 27.1 (GNU Emacs 27.1 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.24, cairo version 1.16.0) of 2021-03-28, modified by Debian).
When I hover the mouse pointer over the "copy&...
- 679
1
vote
1
answer
57
views
WHAT is the emacs tutorial command?
It says C-h t in a vague forum manual but I don't have that, how do I access this feature.
- 175
2
votes
1
answer
344
views
Why I cannot find `Emacs Lisp Intro` inside info mode?
I am trying to read the Emacs Lisp Intro inside Emacs. I am following the advice on Emacs wiki:
Read the Emacs Lisp Introduction: EmacsLispIntro. Use ‘C-h i’
(‘info’), then choose ‘Emacs Lisp Intro’. ...
- 1,259
2
votes
1
answer
108
views
How to autoload a non-elpa package such as help-fns+.el?
I read from some posts (require vs. package-initialize?, and here) that Emacs can autoload packages installed via ELPA/MELPA, which avoids using require on packages and speeds up loading during ...
- 1,250
3
votes
1
answer
255
views
How to get immediate visual feedback of keys I type?
I would like to get some immediate strong visual feedback for the commands I enter in emacs. For example, I would be happy if any key sequence (beginning with a modifier key) that I type appeared in ...
2
votes
1
answer
87
views
Vim help on Emacs using evil-mode?
It would be nice to have the help system present in Vim when using Emacs evil-mode (:help command). I searched online and could not find a way to do this since only the native Emacs C-h help menu is ...
- 123
3
votes
3
answers
554
views
What's :eval (colon eval) in defcustom?
I am reading this Elisp library and can't figure out what :eval is.
- 141
1
vote
1
answer
104
views
special form or macro? eval-when-compile, eval-and-compile
Is eval-when-compile a special form (primitive in C), or a macro?
According to the elisp manual, C-h S eval-when-compile RET,
Special Form: eval-when-compile body...
But according to C-h f eval-when-...
- 1,898
1
vote
1
answer
135
views
Flymake colouring?
I've recently updated my Emacs from 26 to 27, and now the Flymake error indicators are very hard to see - they're now in a very pale rose instead of crimson red. How can I change the colour back? I've ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
665
views
How to get help on Doom's own functions
I use describe-function command with SPC h f to get help on emacs functions. But I want to get documentation on Doom's own functions such as map!. describe-function doesn't list this function. How can ...
- 131
1
vote
2
answers
111
views
Open clickable filenames in the same help buffer
I looking for simple solution to open clickable filenames in the same help buffers. For example, when we display help for add-to-list variable and click TAB the cursor is placed on the subr.el file ...
- 692
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votes
2
answers
63
views
How to know the list of possible commands when in a session?
For instance: When I am in C-c C-e (export), by pressing # you get extra options. How to know this?
Another example: When in a helm session, by pressing C-c C-f, you activate helm-follow-mode. But ...
2
votes
1
answer
93
views
How to automatically select apropos buffer when it is displayed
It is possible to automatically select *Help* buffers when they are displayed by doing (setq help-window-select t) (relevant question: How to close help buffer without moving to it?).
Is there a ...
- 583
1
vote
0
answers
32
views
Cannot access text properties because of hl-line
I want to change somes faces in my system, but each time I want to access describe-text-properties I get an answer with hl-line, for every text displayed in the buffer.
Therefore, I cannot ...
- 103
1
vote
3
answers
317
views
Is there a way to create an org-mode link that opens help?
For example:
* Purpose
Keep some notes to elisp functions.
[[link:elisp-func][elisp-func help]]
I want to open the link via C-c C-o which would show a buffer with help as though I had ran instead:
C-...
- 209
1
vote
1
answer
81
views
How to get the mode-specific help information or help files
No matter in which mode I am currently in,
is there a general way / key combination to open the help file related to the currently active mode?
- 679
4
votes
2
answers
196
views
Display summary information on command when running Meta-x
Since I'm new to GNU Emacs (version 26.1 running on Debian Stable) I'd like to get some information when invoking a command using Meta-x. Currently I'm only able to see a list of possible completions ...
- 185