Emacs Efficiency

Discover Emacs cheatsheet keybindings emacs

This is straight away from VernonGrant who hosts a podcast for Emacs called “Discovering-Emacs”. It’s a great and has very much professional vibes, the explanations are Crisp and Clear! I suggest you to check out, he even has made YouTube channel for it.

I have removed some of the common bindings from this table, I have retained some unique one’s which isn’t discovered generally. I guess that is why the name is made (lol)

I just wanted to have a cheatsheet for it, so I decided to leave it as a post here.

You can checkout the source here ⟾ https://github.com/VernonGrant/emacs-keyboard-shortcuts

General Shortcuts

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`C-x Esc Esc`	`repeat-complex-command`	Edit and re-evaluate last complex command.
`C-h f`	`describe-function`	Help information for a function.
`C-h x`	`describe-command`	Help information for a command (a function available using `M-x`).
`C-h l`	`view-lossage`	Show log for key presses and commands.
`M--`	`negative-argument`	Prefix to perform negative meta commands.
`C--`	`negative-argument`	Prefix to perform negative commands.
`M-l`	`downcase-word`	Lowercase word forward.
`M-c`	`capitalize-word`	Capitalize word forward.
`M-u`	`upcase-word`	Uppercase word forward.
`C-<space> C-<space>`	`set-mark-command`	Add mark to mark ring.
`C-u C-<space>`	`set-mark-command`	Jump to previous mark.
`M-q`	`fill-paragraph`	Wrap/reformat to fill column.
`M-^`	`delete-indentation`	Join previous line.
`M-- M-^`	`delete-indentation`	Join following line.
`M-{`	`backward-paragraph`	Previous paragraph.
`M-}`	`forward-paragraph`	Next paragraph.
`C-x C-v`	`find-alternate-file`	Find alternative file.
`C-x i`	`insert-file`	Insert file contents into the current file.
`C-x h`	`mark-whole-buffer`	Highlight entire buffer.
`C-M-\`	`indent-region`	Re-indent code region in region or from previous mark point.
`C-x C-x`	`exchange-point-and-mark`	Put the mark where point is now, and point where the mark is now.
`C-x C-j`	`dired-jump`	Open Dired jump.
`C-x SPC`	`rectangle-mark-mode`	Rectangle edit mode, can use string-insert-rectangle.
`C-x +`	`balance-windows`	Resize all splits to equal sizes.
`C-x 5 2`	`make-frame-command`	Open in new frame.
`C-x r SPC`	`point-to-register`	Point-to-register.
`C-x r j`	`jump-to-register`	Jump-to-register.
`M-s o`	`occur`	List lines using regex.
`M-s h r`	`highlight-regexp`	Highlights regex expression (useful for presentations).
`M-r`	`move-to-window-line-top-bottom`	Move cursor to top, middle and bottom.
`C-l`	`recenter-top-bottom`	Move text in relation to the cursor, to top, middle and bottom.
`M-!`	`shell-command`	Run a shell command.
`M-&`	`async-shell-command`	Async shell command.
`C-u 0`	`universal-argument`	Infinite count prefix.
`C-u {count}`	`universal-argument`	Repeat operation x amount of times.
`C-x z`	`repeat`	Repeat command.
`C-x backspace`	`backward-kill-sentence`	Clear mini-buffer.
`M-g M-g`	`goto-line`	Go to line.
`C-x 1`	`delete-other-windows`	Kill other windows.
`M-z (char)`	`zap-to-char`	Zap up to char.
`C-x * g`	`calc-dispatch`	Eval in new buffer.
`C-u M-x`	`universal-argument`	Run command with additional options.

Macros

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`C-x (`	`kmacro-start-macro`	Define keyboard macro.
`C-x )`	`kmacro-end-macro`	End keyboard macro definition.
`C-x e`	`kmacro-end-and-call-macro`	Playback keyboard macro, can just keep pressing `e` after first press.
`C-x C-k <space>`	`kmacro-step-edit-macro`	Open keyboard macro debugger.
`C-x C-k e`	`edit-kbd-macro`	Enter macro editor, (C-c C-c) to finish editing.
`C-x C-k n`	`kmacro-name-last-macro`	Save the keyboard macro for later use.
	`insert-kbd-macro`	Insert a saved macro into the file, in Emacs lisp.

Project

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`C-x p !`	`project-shell-command`	Run `shell-command` in the current project’s root directory.
`C-x p &`	`project-async-shell-command`	Run `async-shell-command` in the current project’s root directory.
`C-x p f`	`project-find-file`	Visit a file (with completion) in the current project.
`C-x p F`	`project-or-external-find-file`	Visit a file (with completion) in the current project or external roots.
`C-x p b`	`project-switch-to-buffer`	Display buffer in the selected window, for a buffer belonging to the current project.
`C-x p s`	`project-shell`	Start an inferior shell in the current project’s root directory.
`C-x p d`	`project-find-dir`	Start Dired in a directory inside the current project.
`C-x p D`	`project-dired`	Start Dired in the current project’s root.
`C-x p v`	`project-vc-dir`	Run VC-Dir in the current project’s root.
`C-x p c`	`project-compile`	Run `compile` in the project root.
`C-x p e`	`project-eshell`	Start Eshell in the current project’s root directory.
`C-x p k`	`project-kill-buffers`	Kill the buffers belonging to the current project.
`C-x p p`	`project-switch-project`	Switch to another project by running an Emacs command.
`C-x p g`	`project-find-regexp`	Find all matches for REGEXP in the current project’s roots.
`C-x p G`	`project-or-external-find-regexp`	Find all matches for REGEXP in the project roots or external roots.
`C-x p r`	`project-query-replace-regexp`	Query-replace REGEXP in all the files of the project.
`C-x p x`	`project-execute-extended-command`	Execute an extended command in project root.

Balanced Expressions

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`C-M-f`	`forward-sexp`	Forward over an sexps.
`C-M-b`	`backward-sexp`	Backward over a sexps.
`C-M-d`	`down-list`	Move down into a sexps.
`C-M-u`	`backward-up-list`	Move up out of a sexps.
`C-M-n`	`forward-list`	Move forward to the sexps.
`C-M-p`	`backward-list`	Move backward to the previous sexps.
`C-M-k`	`kill-sexp`	Kill down into sexps.
`M-(`	`insert-parentheses`	Wraps region in parenthesis.

Query Replace

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`M-%`	`query-replace`	Start a query replace operation.
`!`		Replace all remaining matches in this buffer with no more questions.
`^`		Move point back to previous match.
`u`		Undo previous replacement.
`U`		undo all replacements.
`E`		Edit the replacement string.

Xref

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`M-.`	`xref-find-definitions`	Find definitions at point.
`M-,`	`xref-go-back`	Pop marker and return.
`M-?`	`xref-find-references`	Find references matching a pattern.
`C-M-.`	`xref-find-apropos`	Find symbols matching a pattern.

Bookmarks

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`C-x r m`	`bookmark-set`	Create / set bookmark.
`C-x r b`	`bookmark-jump`	Open bookmark.
`C-x r l`	`bookmark-bmenu-list`	List bookmarks.

Dired Buffer

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`C-o`	`dired-display-file`	Preview file but stay in Dired buffer.
`C-u k`	`dired-do-kill-lines`	Remove section.
`X`	`dired-do-shell-command`	Execute shell command on file.
`Q`	`dired-do-find-regexp-and-replace`	Query replace marked files, `<space>` accept, `n` decline and `C-x s` to save all.
`+`	`dired-create-directory`	Create directory.
`^`	`dired-up-directory`	Go up one directory.
	`find-name-dired`	Recursively find a file.

Interface To Spell (Ispell) and On The Fly Spell (Flyspell)

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`M $`	`ispell-word`	Check and correct spelling of the word at point.
`C-M i`	`completion-at-point`	Complete the word before point based on the spelling dictionary.
`M-TAB`	`flyspell-auto-correct-word`	Automatically corrects the current word at point, will also cycle between option.
`C-c $`	`flyspell-correct-word-before-point`	Correct word before point.

Org Buffer

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`S-M-RET`	`org-insert-todo-heading`	Insert a new TODO entry below the current one.
`C-c / t`	`org-match-sparse-tree`	View todo items in a sparse tree.
`C-c C-t`	`org-todo`	Toggle todo item state.
`C-c C-s`	`org-schedule`	Schedule todo item.
`C-c C-d`	`org-deadline`	Add deadline to todo item.
`C-c [`	`org-agenda-file-to-front`	Add file to agenda.
`C-c ]`	`org-remove-file`	Remove file to agenda.
`C-c .`	`org-timestamp`	Insert current date.
`C-c C-e`	`org-export-dispatch`	Open exporter.
`C-c C-e #`	`org-export-dispatch`	Insert template.
`C-c C-e P x`	`org-export-dispatch`	Export specific project.

EWW

Shortcut	Command Invoked	Description
`B`	`eww-list-bookmarks`	Display your bookmarks.
`b`	`eww-add-bookmark`	Add the current page as a bookmark.
`l`	`eww-back-url`	Go to the previously displayed page.
`r`	`eww-forward-url`	Go to the next displayed page.
`g`	`eww-reload`	Reload the current page.
`G`	`eww`	Go to a new address.
`H`	`eww-list-histories`	Shows a list of your histories.
`TAB`	`shr-next-link`	Skip to the next link.

Useful Commands

Command	Description
`keep-lines`	Delete all lines not matching the provided regex.
`flush-lines`	Delete all lines matching the provided regex.
`sort-lines`	Sort lines in region alphabetically.
`delete-duplicate-lines`	Delete all but one copy of any identical lines in the region.
`ff-find-other-file`	Find the header or source file corresponding to this file.