Credit for this goes to Steve Yegge in http://sites.google.com/site/steveyegge2/effective-emacs
(global-set-key "\C-w" 'backward-kill-word)
(global-set-key "\C-x\C-k" 'kill-region)
(global-set-key "\C-c\C-k" 'kill-region)
It truly is wonderful to have Ctrl-w mean what I'm used to having it mean.
(Also check that article for more)
I happen to have quite a lot of these:
;; You know, like Readline.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-M-h") 'backward-kill-word)
;; Align your code in a pretty way.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x \\") 'align-regexp)
;; Perform general cleanup.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c n") 'cleanup-buffer)
;; Font size
(define-key global-map (kbd "C-+") 'text-scale-increase)
(define-key global-map (kbd "C--") 'text-scale-decrease)
;; Use regex searches by default.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-s") 'isearch-forward-regexp)
(global-set-key (kbd "\C-r") 'isearch-backward-regexp)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-M-s") 'isearch-forward)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-M-r") 'isearch-backward)
;; Jump to a definition in the current file. (This is awesome.)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-i") 'ido-imenu)
;; File finding
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x M-f") 'ido-find-file-other-window)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-M-f") 'find-file-in-project)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x f") 'recentf-ido-find-file)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c r") 'bury-buffer)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-`") 'file-cache-minibuffer-complete)
;; Window switching. (C-x o goes to the next window)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x O") (lambda ()
(interactive)
(other-window -1))) ;; back one
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-o") (lambda ()
(interactive)
(other-window 2))) ;; forward two
;; Indentation help
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x ^") 'join-line)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-M-\\") 'indent-region-or-buffer)
;; Start proced in a similar manner to dired
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x p") 'proced)
;; Start eshell or switch to it if it's active.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x m") 'eshell)
;; Start a new eshell even if one is active.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x M") (lambda () (interactive) (eshell t)))
;; Start a regular shell if you prefer that.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x M-m") 'shell)
;; If you want to be able to M-x without meta
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-m") 'execute-extended-command)
;; Fetch the contents at a URL, display it raw.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-h") 'view-url)
;; Help should search more than just commands
(global-set-key (kbd "C-h a") 'apropos)
;; Should be able to eval-and-replace anywhere.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c e") 'eval-and-replace)
;; Magit rules!
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x g") 'magit-status)
;; This is a little hacky since VC doesn't support git add internally
(eval-after-load 'vc
(define-key vc-prefix-map "i" '(lambda () (interactive)
(if (not (eq 'Git (vc-backend buffer-file-name)))
(vc-register)
(shell-command (format "git add %s" buffer-file-name))
(message "Staged changes.")))))
;; Activate occur easily inside isearch
(define-key isearch-mode-map (kbd "C-o")
(lambda () (interactive)
(let ((case-fold-search isearch-case-fold-search))
(occur (if isearch-regexp isearch-string (regexp-quote isearch-string))))))
;; Org
(define-key global-map "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)
(define-key global-map "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)
;; program shortcuts - s stands for windows key(super)
(global-set-key (kbd "s-b") 'browse-url) ;; Browse (W3M)
(global-set-key (kbd "s-f") 'browse-url-firefox) ;; Firefox...
(global-set-key (kbd "s-l") 'linum-mode) ;; show line numbers in buffer
(global-set-key (kbd "s-r") 're-builder) ;; build regular expressions
;; Super + uppercase letter signifies a buffer/file
(global-set-key (kbd "s-S") ;; scratch
(lambda()(interactive)(switch-to-buffer "*scratch*")))
(global-set-key (kbd "s-E") ;; .emacs
(lambda()(interactive)(find-file "~/emacs/dot-emacs.el")))
;; cycle through buffers
(global-set-key (kbd "<C-tab>") 'bury-buffer)
;; use hippie-expand instead of dabbrev
(global-set-key (kbd "M-/") 'hippie-expand)
;; spell check Bulgarian text
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c B")
(lambda()(interactive)
(ispell-change-dictionary "bulgarian")
(flyspell-buffer)))
;; replace buffer-menu with ibuffer
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-b") 'ibuffer)
;; interactive text replacement
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c C-r") 'iedit-mode)
;; swap windows
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c s") 'swap-windows)
;; duplicate the current line or region
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c d") 'duplicate-current-line-or-region)
;; rename buffer & visited file
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c r") 'rename-file-and-buffer)
;; open an ansi-term buffer
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x t") 'visit-term-buffer)
;; macros
(global-set-key [f10] 'start-kbd-macro)
(global-set-key [f11] 'end-kbd-macro)
(global-set-key [f12] 'call-last-kbd-macro)
(provide 'bindings-config)
I actually have an entire Emacs Lisp file dedicated to global keybindings :-)
Some of my more unusual bindings:
(global-set-key [pause] 'emms-pause)
First good use for the pause key in a very long time!
(global-set-key [(super \\)] 'find-file-at-point)
Just all-around useful.
(global-set-key [(super s)] 'shell)
(global-set-key [(meta p)] 'shell)
With the second binding in place, I can quickly type M-p M-p RET to return to the shell buffer and repeat the last command I typed there.
Then there are the unbindings:
(global-unset-key "\C-x\C-n")
Never really had a use for set-goal-column, and always kept tripping over it.
(when window-system (global-unset-key "\C-z"))
I hate it when I accidentally type C-z and iconify my frame.
Now we get a little meta:
(defmacro global-set-key* (keys &rest body)
`(global-set-key ,keys (lambda () (interactive) ,@body)))
Just a little keystroke-saving device that lets me write stuff like:
(global-set-key* [(shift control n)] (next-line) (scroll-up 1))
(global-set-key* [(shift control p)] (previous-line) (scroll-down 1))
One of my favorites was something recommended by a coworker that I initially thought I'd hate:
The arrow keys (up/down/left/right) are remapped to scrolling the current window. To move the cursor, you've still got C-n/p/f/b (or isearch, or tags, or whatever).
(global-set-key [(control w)] 'kill-this-buffer)
I was already hitting Ctrl-W out of instinct to close a buffer -- customizing the binding made emacs much easier for me.
Yes, I realize this betrays my origin as a Windows guy. We all make mistakes...
(bind "C-t" (lookup-key global-map (kbd "C-x")))
I never transpose characters so I rebound it to mean C-x when used as a prefix key. I just can't stand reaching all the way for the "x" key on Dvorak.
I'm also using this macro since today:
(defmacro bind (key fn)
`(global-set-key (kbd ,key) ,(if (listp fn) fn `',fn)))
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c k") 'browse-kill-ring)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-.") 'etags-select-find-tag)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-s l") 'loccur)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-s /") 'multi-occur-in-matching-buffers)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x M-b") 'bury-buffer)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-x C-b") 'ibuffer)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-/") 'hippie-expand)
;; Toggle show-trailing-whitespace.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c M-w") (function (lambda () (interactive) (setq show-trailing-whitespace (not show-trailing-whitespace)))))
;; Use framemove, integrated with windmove.
(windmove-default-keybindings) ;default modifier is <SHIFT>
(when (require 'framemove nil :noerror)
(setq framemove-hook-into-windmove t))
and, while not a key-binding, something similar:
(defalias 'find 'find-dired)
;; Generally useful
(global-set-key [(meta ?/)] 'hippie-expand)
(global-set-key [(super ?i)] 'imenu)
;; Emacs Lisp navigation
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c f") 'find-function)
(global-set-key [(super ?l)] 'find-library)
;; Compiling things, navigating to errors
(global-set-key [print] 'recompile)
(global-set-key [(shift print)] 'compile)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-p") 'previous-error)
(global-set-key (kbd "M-n") 'next-error)
(global-set-key (kbd "s-p") 'flymake-goto-prev-error)
(global-set-key (kbd "s-n") 'flymake-goto-next-error)
;; Open URLs in Firefox. Still not sure which binding I like most...
(global-set-key (kbd "s-<kp-5>") 'browse-url-firefox)
(global-set-key (kbd "s-<kp-begin>") 'browse-url-firefox)
(global-set-key (kbd "s-t") 'browse-url-firefox)
;; EMMS (music player)
(global-set-key [Scroll_Lock] 'emms-pause)
(global-set-key (kbd "<S-Scroll_Lock>") 'emms-next)
(global-set-key (kbd "<C-Scroll_Lock>") 'emms-show)
;; Navigation between and within buffers
(global-set-key (kbd "C-<backspace>") 'bury-buffer)
(defun scroll-down-one-line ()
"Scroll down one line."
(interactive)
(scroll-down 1))
(defun scroll-up-one-line ()
"Scroll up one line."
(interactive)
(scroll-up 1))
(global-set-key [(super up)] 'scroll-down-one-line)
(global-set-key [(super down)] 'scroll-up-one-line)
(global-set-key [(super right)] 'next-buffer)
(global-set-key [(super left)] 'previous-buffer)
(defun other-window-backwards ()
(interactive)
(other-window -1))
(global-set-key [(control super down)] 'other-window)
(global-set-key [(control super up)] 'other-window-backwards)
;Nice list. Here's my block.
(global-set-key [f1] 'revert-buffer)
(global-set-key [f2] 'emacs-wiki-find-file) ; moved to xemacsinit
(global-set-key [f3] 'insert-current-time)
(global-set-key [f4] 'replace-regexp)
(global-set-key [f5] 'replace-string)
(global-set-key [f6] 'goto-line)
(global-set-key [f10] 'linum-mode)
(global-set-key [f11] 'my-shell-command-on-region)
(global-set-key [f12] 'eval-region)
(global-set-key [home] 'beginning-of-buffer)
(global-set-key [end] 'end-of-buffer)
(global-set-key "\C-x\C-n" 'other-window)
(global-set-key "\C-x\C-p" 'other-window-backward)
(global-set-key "\C-z" 'scroll-one-line-ahead)
(global-set-key "\C-q" 'scroll-one-line-behind)
(global-set-key "\C-x\C-q" 'quoted-insert)
(global-set-key "\M-," 'point-to-top)
(global-set-key "\M-." 'point-to-bottom)
(global-set-key "\C-x," 'tags-loop-continue)
(global-set-key "\C-x." 'find-tag)
(global-set-key [(control tab)] 'other-window)
(global-set-key [(control shift right)] 'other-window-backward)
I didn't list these in my first answer, but in retrospect I've always found them useful, and I often see questions from people which could be easily solved by use of the apropos functions, so I think anything which makes them more visible is a good thing! (I also spotted that apropos-library has appeared since I first added these, so writing this answer was useful to me :)
;; Make apropos searches also find unbound symbols, and
;; set new key-bindings for various other apropos commands.
(setq apropos-do-all t)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-h a") 'apropos-command)
(define-prefix-command 'Apropos-Prefix nil "Apropos (a,d,f,l,v,C-v)")
(global-set-key (kbd "C-h C-a") 'Apropos-Prefix)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "a") 'apropos)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "C-a") 'apropos)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "d") 'apropos-documentation)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "f") 'apropos-command)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "l") 'apropos-library)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "v") 'apropos-variable)
(define-key Apropos-Prefix (kbd "C-v") 'apropos-value)
With these bindings, I type C-h C-a whenever I want to search for something, followed by the appropriate character according to the specific kind of search I require (with a prompt to help me if I can't remember the possibilities). If I don't know quite what I'm looking for, then a second C-a (or plain a) at the prompt will run an all-encompassing apropos.
If I can't remember what the prompt characters actually mean, typing C-h again at the prompt (i.e. C-h C-a C-h) will list the bindings.
(require 'breadcrumb)
(global-set-key [(control f2)] 'bc-set)
(global-set-key [(f2)] 'bc-previous)
(global-set-key [(shift f2)] 'bc-next)
(global-set-key [(meta f2)] 'bc-list)