--- replace.el	26 Jul 2007 07:26:32 +0200	1.259
+++ replace.el	24 Sep 2007 18:04:34 +0200	
@@ -525,10 +525,15 @@
 
 (defun keep-lines-read-args (prompt)
   "Read arguments for `keep-lines' and friends.
-Prompt for a regexp with PROMPT.
+Prompt for a regexp with PROMPT followed by some information and a colon.
 Value is a list, (REGEXP)."
-  (list (read-from-minibuffer prompt nil nil nil
-			      'regexp-history nil t)
+  (list (read-from-minibuffer (concat prompt
+				      (if (and transient-mark-mode mark-active)
+					  " in the region: "
+					(if current-prefix-arg
+					    " backward: "
+					  ": ")))
+			      nil nil nil 'regexp-history nil t)
 	nil nil t))
 
 (defun keep-lines (regexp &optional rstart rend interactive)
@@ -547,7 +552,8 @@
 
 Interactively, in Transient Mark mode when the mark is active, operate
 on all lines whose accessible part is entirely contained in the region.
-Otherwise, the command applies to all lines starting after point.
+Otherwise, the command applies to all lines starting after point (or before
+point if a prefix argument is provided).
 When calling this function from Lisp, you can pretend that it was
 called interactively by passing a non-nil INTERACTIVE argument.
 
@@ -558,7 +564,7 @@
   (interactive
    (progn
      (barf-if-buffer-read-only)
-     (keep-lines-read-args "Keep lines (containing match for regexp): ")))
+     (keep-lines-read-args "Keep lines (containing match for regexp)")))
   (if rstart
       (progn
 	(goto-char (min rstart rend))
@@ -576,8 +582,8 @@
 		     (unless (or (bolp) (eobp))
 		       (forward-line 0))
 		     (point-marker)))
-      (setq rstart (point)
-	    rend (point-max-marker)))
+      (setq rstart (if current-prefix-arg (point-min) (point))
+	    rend (if current-prefix-arg (point-marker) (point-max-marker))))
     (goto-char rstart))
   (save-excursion
     (or (bolp) (forward-line 1))
@@ -620,9 +626,10 @@
 
 Interactively, in Transient Mark mode when the mark is active, operate
 on the contents of the region.  Otherwise, operate from point to the
-end of (the accessible portion of) the buffer.  When calling this function
-from Lisp, you can pretend that it was called interactively by passing
-a non-nil INTERACTIVE argument.
+end of (the accessible portion of) the buffer (or its beginning if a prefix
+argument is provided).
+When calling this function from Lisp, you can pretend that it was called
+interactively by passing a non-nil INTERACTIVE argument.
 
 If a match is split across lines, all the lines it lies in are deleted.
 They are deleted _before_ looking for the next match.  Hence, a match
@@ -631,7 +638,7 @@
   (interactive
    (progn
      (barf-if-buffer-read-only)
-     (keep-lines-read-args "Flush lines (containing match for regexp): ")))
+     (keep-lines-read-args "Flush lines (containing match for regexp)")))
   (if rstart
       (progn
 	(goto-char (min rstart rend))
@@ -639,8 +646,8 @@
     (if (and interactive transient-mark-mode mark-active)
 	(setq rstart (region-beginning)
 	      rend (copy-marker (region-end)))
-      (setq rstart (point)
-	    rend (point-max-marker)))
+      (setq rstart (if current-prefix-arg (point-min) (point))
+	    rend (if current-prefix-arg (point-marker) (point-max-marker))))
     (goto-char rstart))
   (let ((case-fold-search (and case-fold-search
 			       (isearch-no-upper-case-p regexp t))))
@@ -668,14 +675,16 @@
 
 Interactively, in Transient Mark mode when the mark is active, operate
 on the contents of the region.  Otherwise, operate from point to the
-end of (the accessible portion of) the buffer.
+end of (the accessible portion of) the buffer (or its beginning if a
+prefix argument is provided).
 
 This function starts looking for the next match from the end of
 the previous match.  Hence, it ignores matches that overlap
 a previously found match."
 
   (interactive
-   (keep-lines-read-args "How many matches for (regexp): "))
+   (keep-lines-read-args "How many matches for (regexp)"))
+
   (save-excursion
     (if rstart
 	(progn
@@ -684,8 +693,8 @@
       (if (and interactive transient-mark-mode mark-active)
 	  (setq rstart (region-beginning)
 		rend (region-end))
-	(setq rstart (point)
-	      rend (point-max)))
+	(setq rstart (if current-prefix-arg (point-min) (point))
+	      rend (if current-prefix-arg (point) (point-max))))
       (goto-char rstart))
     (let ((count 0)
 	  opoint