Emacs
The Tutorial[edit]
Log on to the server and start emacs:
john-williams@codermerlin:~$ emacs
emacs will start. Read the startup screen closely. It's important to learn to read messages thoroughly; don't skim, read. A careful reading will tell you exactly what you need to do to start the tutorial.
A helpful emacs key reference is available here: Emacs Keys
Helpful Hint
Remember that on the wiki key combinations are displayed as two adjacent keyboard keys, separated by a hyphen. Within the emacs tutorial, a different method is used.
| On the Wiki | Within emacs Tutorial |
|---|---|
| CONTROL-h | C-h |
| ALT-x | M-x |
Helpful Hint
As you work through the tutorial nearly all keys will behave exactly as described, with one notable exception. The tutorial describes the undo command as CONTROL-/. However, for reasons related to the manner in which terminal emulators operate, this key sequence will (probably) not work. The alternative sequence, CONTROL-SHIFT-_ will work. Another alternative, though a bit more cumbersome, is CONTROL-x u.
Temporary Files[edit]
Emacs creates two types of files for your benefit, automatically.
Backup Files[edit]
Backup files are created automatically whenever you save a file. This enables you to easily go back to an older version if necessary. The backup file is named the same as your original file but with a tilde (~) as a suffix. If you're certain that you don't need the backup file it may safely be deleted (though it's probably better to simply ignore it).
Auto-Save Files[edit]
Emacs automatically saves your files periodically so in case of an unexpected event (e.g. emacs crashes) your file can still be recovered. The auto-save file is named the same as your original file but with a leading and trailing number sign (#). In the event of a crash, the file may be recovered by opening your original file and then executing ALT-x recover-file. Emacs will notify you if it detects a file in this state. In general, emacs will automatically delete these files when it cleanly exits.
How to Perform Common Tasks[edit]
- How to Copy from One File to Another
- How to Replace a String
- Version Control
- Power User Tips
- Emacs-Enable Mouse Mode
Emacs for Essays[edit]
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Coming Soon |
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Exercises[edit]
After completing W1008:
- M1004-10 Complete Merlin Mission Manager Mission M1004-10.
Excursions[edit]
- Using emacs navigation commands (including CONTROL-U), produce an ASCII art image at least forty characters wide and twenty-four characters high. Save your image to a file at the path ~/Experiences/W1004/art.txt.
- Repeat the above process adding several new images below the first to form a vertical comic strip.
- References: ASCII art (Wikipedia)
Experience Metadata
| Experience ID | W1004 |
|---|---|
| Next experience ID | |
| Unit | Lab basics |
| Knowledge and skills | §10.121 §10.212 |
| Topic areas | Emacs |
| Classroom time | 45 minutes |
| Study time | 4 hours240 minutes <br /> |
| Acquired knowledge | understanding that documents are preserved in files understanding the difference between document files and temporary files |
| Acquired skill | starting, stopping, and suspending emacs creating a new file, opening an existing file, saving modifications to a file navigating forward and backward through a file by character, word, sentence, and line navigating to the start and end of the document searching for text incrementally (forwards and backwards) marking a region of text and cutting, copying, and pasting text |
| Additional categories |
