From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Drew Adams" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: RE: Any good stuff for emacs study ? Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 07:49:59 -0700 Message-ID: References: <87u07w54a1.fsf@thalassa.informatimago.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1147445429 2039 80.91.229.2 (12 May 2006 14:50:29 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 14:50:29 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri May 12 16:50:27 2006 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by ciao.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1FeYy8-0007sg-0B for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 12 May 2006 16:50:16 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1FeYy7-0002HZ-W6 for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 12 May 2006 10:50:16 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1FeYxv-0002HU-Tl for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 12 May 2006 10:50:03 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1FeYxv-0002H4-99 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 12 May 2006 10:50:03 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1FeYxv-0002Gu-3T for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 12 May 2006 10:50:03 -0400 Original-Received: from [141.146.126.228] (helo=agminet01.oracle.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA:24) (Exim 4.52) id 1FeYzf-00063f-F5 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 12 May 2006 10:51:51 -0400 Original-Received: from rgmsgw300.us.oracle.com (rgmsgw300.us.oracle.com [138.1.186.49]) by agminet01.oracle.com (Switch-3.1.7/Switch-3.1.7) with ESMTP id k4CEo0gp018204 for ; Fri, 12 May 2006 09:50:00 -0500 Original-Received: from dradamslap (dhcp-amer-csvpn-gw2-141-144-74-209.vpn.oracle.com [141.144.74.209]) by rgmsgw300.us.oracle.com (Switch-3.1.7/Switch-3.1.7) with SMTP id k4CEnwLs020124 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5 bits=128 verify=NO) for ; Fri, 12 May 2006 08:49:59 -0600 Original-To: X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) In-Reply-To: <87u07w54a1.fsf@thalassa.informatimago.com> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1807 Importance: Normal X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAQAAAAI= X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAQAAAAI= X-Whitelist: TRUE X-Whitelist: TRUE X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:34998 Archived-At: > But the manual at gnu is too long to read completely as a > tutorial, and is there any good book or manual to begin with? - Launch emacs. - Type C-h t (that means, type: control-h, then t). - Read the tutorial; it's only 840 lines. - Use emacs! Others have also recommended the Emacs Wiki and the Emacs manual. I would point out that the place to start on the wiki is here: http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/EmacsNewbie. That page will get you started and it can point you to other learning resources (e.g. books) as well. Also, (like any good manual) the Emacs manual has the most basic topics near the beginning, and they are usually identified as such. The most important thing to know about the Emacs manual is that it is always available, with easy browsing, searching, and index lookup. Use `C-h i' to access it (choose Emacs manual in the list of manuals). Use `q' to quit, then `C-h i' again later (in the same Emacs session) to pick up where you last left off. Emacs help is also always available - see #3 below. Here's the recipe for learning: 1. Start with the Emacs tutorial. The post above should have said "use" the tutorial, not "read" it. It walks you through learning Emacs by using it. 2. Learn how to access the Emacs manual and how to look things up in it, starting with `i' as Eli mentioned. 3. Use Emacs, and while you use it ask it! Get to know Emacs help commands: `C-h k', `C-h f', `C-h v', `C-h m', `C-h a' -- use `C-h h' to see them all. Examples: 1) You want to find a command that deletes a line, so you try `C-h a line' to see all commands with "line" in their name. 2) You want to know what hitting a given sequences of keys will do, so you try `C-h k' then type the key sequence. 4. Don't forget the wiki. People like you wrote it to help people like you. And you can contribute (questions, experiences, suggestions...). Bottom line: You can be doing amazing stuff in a short time, but you can also spend a lifetime or two learning more - Emacs is unlimited, but don't be discouraged by the incredible amount of stuff you can learn. Many Emacs learners (like myself) are Emacs addicts - they just like learning new things and sharing them with others. That does not mean that you must master a zillion complexities before you can be productive with Emacs. You'll be productive within a few minutes.