how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Gottfried]

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Hi,
I am learning Emacs, so please be patient with my basic questions.

I started to read the manual on a daily basis.

I would like to make some reference card like the Emacs reference card 
for Emacs keybindings.

I was looking on the web to find something and watched some videos, but 
I didn't find anything yet.
Does somebody know some websites or videos on you tube?
It's about formatting text, after or before I start to write text.

1. I guess I have first to set up the right environment.
e.g. very small letters (how to do that?)

2. which mode should I choose?

3. I guess I have to create a rectangle with several columns
and enlarge it to the whole buffer / sheet

4. Then I have to enter text

5. How to do the formatting of the text?
    e.g which minor mode?
    e.g headings in bigger letters on the first line

Is there a better way?

Kind regards

Gottfried


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RE: [External] : how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Drew Adams]

> I would like to make some reference card like the Emacs reference card
> for Emacs keybindings.
> 
> I was looking on the web to find something and watched some videos, but
> I didn't find anything yet.
> Does somebody know some websites or videos on you tube?
> It's about formatting text, after or before I start to write text.

This probably doesn't help with your question,
but just FYI, there's this Emacs Wiki page about
existing reference cards.  If you create a new
one you might update this page to include a link
to yours.

https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/ReferenceCards

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2022-12-08, at 20:54, Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> wrote:

> Hi,
> I am learning Emacs, so please be patient with my basic questions.
>
> I started to read the manual on a daily basis.

Congratulations, this is a very good idea, and a big undertaking!

> I would like to make some reference card like the Emacs reference card
> for Emacs keybindings.
>
> I was looking on the web to find something and watched some videos, but
> I didn't find anything yet.
> Does somebody know some websites or videos on you tube?
> It's about formatting text, after or before I start to write text.
>
> 1. I guess I have first to set up the right environment.
> e.g. very small letters (how to do that?)
>
> 2. which mode should I choose?
>
> 3. I guess I have to create a rectangle with several columns
> and enlarge it to the whole buffer / sheet
>
> 4. Then I have to enter text
>
> 5. How to do the formatting of the text?
>    e.g which minor mode?
>    e.g headings in bigger letters on the first line

The Emacs reference card is written in TeX.  Actually, in plain TeX, but
LaTeX is also well suited for that.

If you know (La)TeX already, you should know (more or less) what to do.
You can look up the file `etc/refcards/refcard.tex' in Emacs source code
(but if you prefer LaTeX over plain TeX, better not).  You might want to
use the `cheatsheet' LaTeX class (https://ctan.org/pkg/cheatsheet;
I haven't used that, it's just the result of me looking up CTAN.)

If you don't know (La)TeX, don't.  Just don't.  (And I say that as the
author of a LaTeX textbook and a long-time fan of all things TeX.)  It's
a huge rabbit hole you probably don't need right now.

> Is there a better way?

Yes.  Use Anki or some other spaced repetition software
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition) to memorize the most
important stuff.  (There are at least 2 SR tools available in Emacs –
more precisely, in Org mode.)  Alternatively, use an Org file and don't
bother with exporting to print it.

Also, start small.  Write down a keybinding you think you would find
useful.  Make yourself use it at least once-twice per day, for a few
days.  Then do it with another one.  Rinse and repeat.

Even better, learn to ask Emacs itself for help.  Start with `C-h C-h'.
Consider installing a package like `which-key', `guide-key' etc.
Consider installing the `helpful' package.

Hth,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Emanuel Berg]

Marcin Borkowski wrote:

> If you don't know (La)TeX, don't. Just don't. (And I say
> that as the author of a LaTeX textbook and a long-time fan
> of all things TeX.) It's a huge rabbit hole you probably
> don't need right now.

:)

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference, card

[Gottfried]

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Hi Marcin,
thanks for your advice.
I don't know Tex, Latex

> Even better, learn to ask Emacs itself for help.  Start with `C-h C-h'.
> Consider installing a package like `which-key', `guide-key' etc.
> Consider installing the `helpful' package.

I think I will do this. So I have to use emacs, which helps the most.

In emacs there is information about keybindings.
So I don't understand what would be helpful to install packages like
`which-key', `guide-key' etc.

Kind regards

Gottfried



From: Marcin Borkowski <mbork@mbork.pl>
To: Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de>
Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
Subject: Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference
	card
Message-ID: <87pmctdsj9.fsf@mbork.pl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8


On 2022-12-08, at 20:54, Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> wrote:

 > Hi,
 > I am learning Emacs, so please be patient with my basic questions.
 >
 > I started to read the manual on a daily basis.

Congratulations, this is a very good idea, and a big undertaking!

 > I would like to make some reference card like the Emacs reference card
 > for Emacs keybindings.
 >
 > I was looking on the web to find something and watched some videos, but
 > I didn't find anything yet.
 > Does somebody know some websites or videos on you tube?
 > It's about formatting text, after or before I start to write text.
 >
 > 1. I guess I have first to set up the right environment.
 > e.g. very small letters (how to do that?)
 >
 > 2. which mode should I choose?
 >
 > 3. I guess I have to create a rectangle with several columns
 > and enlarge it to the whole buffer / sheet
 >
 > 4. Then I have to enter text
 >
 > 5. How to do the formatting of the text?
 >    e.g which minor mode?
 >    e.g headings in bigger letters on the first line

The Emacs reference card is written in TeX.  Actually, in plain TeX, but
LaTeX is also well suited for that.

If you know (La)TeX already, you should know (more or less) what to do.
You can look up the file `etc/refcards/refcard.tex' in Emacs source code
(but if you prefer LaTeX over plain TeX, better not).  You might want to
use the `cheatsheet' LaTeX class (https://ctan.org/pkg/cheatsheet;
I haven't used that, it's just the result of me looking up CTAN.)

If you don't know (La)TeX, don't.  Just don't.  (And I say that as the
author of a LaTeX textbook and a long-time fan of all things TeX.)  It's
a huge rabbit hole you probably don't need right now.

 > Is there a better way?

Yes.  Use Anki or some other spaced repetition software
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition) to memorize the most
important stuff.  (There are at least 2 SR tools available in Emacs –
more precisely, in Org mode.)  Alternatively, use an Org file and don't
bother with exporting to print it.

Also, start small.  Write down a keybinding you think you would find
useful.  Make yourself use it at least once-twice per day, for a few
days.  Then do it with another one.  Rinse and repeat.

Even better, learn to ask Emacs itself for help.  Start with `C-h C-h'.
Consider installing a package like `which-key', `guide-key' etc.
Consider installing the `helpful' package.

Hth,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl
-- 



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Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference, card

[Jean Louis]

* Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> [2022-12-09 22:42]:
> Hi Marcin,
> thanks for your advice.
> I don't know Tex, Latex

Document Class for Reference Cards - TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange:
https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/99765/document-class-for-reference-cards

LaTeX Reference Card Creator download | SourceForge.net:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/latex-reference-card-creator/

Just do it, it is not hard.

-- 
Jean

Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns:
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

In support of Richard M. Stallman
https://stallmansupport.org/

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference, card

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2022-12-09, at 23:17, Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> wrote:

> * Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> [2022-12-09 22:42]:
>> Hi Marcin,
>> thanks for your advice.
>> I don't know Tex, Latex
>
> Document Class for Reference Cards - TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange:
> https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/99765/document-class-for-reference-cards
>
> LaTeX Reference Card Creator download | SourceForge.net:
> https://sourceforge.net/projects/latex-reference-card-creator/
>
> Just do it, it is not hard.

I didn't say it is "hard".  I said it's a huge rabbit hole, potentially
/very/ time-consuming, and possibly distracting from the main goal of
the OP.

Best,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference, card

[Jean Louis]

* Marcin Borkowski <mbork@mbork.pl> [2022-12-11 00:42]:
> 
> On 2022-12-09, at 23:17, Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> wrote:
> 
> > * Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> [2022-12-09 22:42]:
> >> Hi Marcin,
> >> thanks for your advice.
> >> I don't know Tex, Latex
> >
> > Document Class for Reference Cards - TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange:
> > https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/99765/document-class-for-reference-cards
> >
> > LaTeX Reference Card Creator download | SourceForge.net:
> > https://sourceforge.net/projects/latex-reference-card-creator/
> >
> > Just do it, it is not hard.
> 
> I didn't say it is "hard".  I said it's a huge rabbit hole, potentially
> /very/ time-consuming, and possibly distracting from the main goal of
> the OP.

Is there any practical different way for reference cards with a lot of
information on single sheet?


-- 
Jean

Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns:
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

In support of Richard M. Stallman
https://stallmansupport.org/

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference, card

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2022-12-10, at 23:11, Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> wrote:

> * Marcin Borkowski <mbork@mbork.pl> [2022-12-11 00:42]:
>> 
>> On 2022-12-09, at 23:17, Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> wrote:
>> 
>> > * Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> [2022-12-09 22:42]:
>> >> Hi Marcin,
>> >> thanks for your advice.
>> >> I don't know Tex, Latex
>> >
>> > Document Class for Reference Cards - TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange:
>> > https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/99765/document-class-for-reference-cards
>> >
>> > LaTeX Reference Card Creator download | SourceForge.net:
>> > https://sourceforge.net/projects/latex-reference-card-creator/
>> >
>> > Just do it, it is not hard.
>> 
>> I didn't say it is "hard".  I said it's a huge rabbit hole, potentially
>> /very/ time-consuming, and possibly distracting from the main goal of
>> the OP.
>
> Is there any practical different way for reference cards with a lot of
> information on single sheet?

Obviously - you could use LibreOffice, for example.  But my main point
is that OP (most probably) does not need a reference card, but something
else.  I suspect an XY problem here.

Best,

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Eduardo Ochs]

On Thu, 8 Dec 2022 at 16:55, Gottfried <gottfried@posteo.de> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> I am learning Emacs, so please be patient with my basic questions.
>
> I started to read the manual on a daily basis.
>
> I would like to make some reference card like the Emacs reference card
> for Emacs keybindings.
>
> I was looking on the web to find something and watched some videos, but
> I didn't find anything yet.
> Does somebody know some websites or videos on you tube?
> It's about formatting text, after or before I start to write text.
>
> 1. I guess I have first to set up the right environment.
> e.g. very small letters (how to do that?)
>
> 2. which mode should I choose?
>
> 3. I guess I have to create a rectangle with several columns
> and enlarge it to the whole buffer / sheet
>
> 4. Then I have to enter text
>
> 5. How to do the formatting of the text?
>     e.g which minor mode?
>     e.g headings in bigger letters on the first line
>
> Is there a better way?
>
> Kind regards
>
> Gottfried


Hi Gottfried,

when I started to learn Emacs I realized that an _editable_ reference
card in ASCII worked much better for me than printed reference cards
or handwritten notes...

If you "install" and "load" eev in the sense explained in this section,

  http://angg.twu.net/eev-intros/find-eev-install-intro.html#0

then this defun

  (defun r () (interactive) (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD")))

would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left half and a
right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD" on the window at the
right" - and this will work even when eev-mode is off.

This will open a "reference card" in Fundamental Mode, i.e., without
colors or fonts. A nice exercise is to modify that to create a second
command that will open another "reference card" in Org, that will have
color, fonts, italics, boldfaces, bells, and whistles... but for me
the version that uses Fundamental Mode works better because in it it
is trivial to write several columns of text and cram a lot of a
information in a single page.

Hope that helps,
  Eduardo Ochs
  http://angg.twu.net/#eev
  http://angg.twu.net/eepitch.html

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Jean Louis]

* Eduardo Ochs <eduardoochs@gmail.com> [2022-12-11 03:22]:
> If you "install" and "load" eev in the sense explained in this section,
> 
>   http://angg.twu.net/eev-intros/find-eev-install-intro.html#0
> 
> then this defun
> 
>   (defun r () (interactive) (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD")))
> 
> would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left half and a
> right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD" on the window at the
> right" - and this will work even when eev-mode is off.

I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically for the
corresponding mode.

-- 
Jean

Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns:
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

In support of Richard M. Stallman
https://stallmansupport.org/

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Eduardo Ochs]

On Sun, 11 Dec 2022 at 02:01, Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> wrote:
>
> * Eduardo Ochs <eduardoochs@gmail.com> [2022-12-11 03:22]:
> > If you "install" and "load" eev in the sense explained in this section,
> >
> >   http://angg.twu.net/eev-intros/find-eev-install-intro.html#0
> >
> > then this defun
> >
> >   (defun r () (interactive) (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD")))
> >
> > would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left half and a
> > right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD" on the window at the
> > right" - and this will work even when eev-mode is off.
>
> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically for the
> corresponding mode.

Here:

  (defun r () (interactive)
    (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD")))

  (defun o () (interactive)
    (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD.org")))

  (defun m () (interactive)
    (find-2a nil '(find-fline (format "~/REFCARD.%s" major-mode))))

Cheers =),
  Eduardo
  http://angg.twu.net/eev-videos.html

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Jean Louis]

* Eduardo Ochs <eduardoochs@gmail.com> [2022-12-11 08:36]:
> Here:
> 
   (defun r () (interactive)
     (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD")))
> 
   (defun o () (interactive)
     (find-2a nil '(find-fline "~/REFCARD.org")))
> 
   (defun m () (interactive)
     (find-2a nil '(find-fline (format "~/REFCARD.%s" major-mode))))

Yes, that is good for the file name.

And then, that file content shall be created automatically.

-- 
Jean

Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns:
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

In support of Richard M. Stallman
https://stallmansupport.org/

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Emanuel Berg]

Jean Louis wrote:

>> would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left
>> half and a right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD" on
>> the window at the right" - and this will work even when
>> eev-mode is off.
>
> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically for
> the corresponding mode.

But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
`describe-mode' already?

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Eduardo Ochs]

On Wed, 14 Dec 2022, 15:16 Emanuel Berg, <incal@dataswamp.org> wrote:

> Jean Louis wrote:
>
> >> would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left
> >> half and a right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD" on
> >> the window at the right" - and this will work even when
> >> eev-mode is off.
> >
> > I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically for
> > the corresponding mode.
>
> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
> `describe-mode' already?
>

They don't create editable buffers.

>

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Emanuel Berg]

Eduardo Ochs wrote:

>>>> would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left
>>>> half and a right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD"
>>>> on the window at the right" - and this will work even
>>>> when eev-mode is off.
>>>
>>> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically
>>> for the corresponding mode.
>>
>> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
>> `describe-mode' already?
>
> They don't create editable buffers.

Save it to/as a text file and write whatever you want?

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Marcin Borkowski]

On 2022-12-15, at 00:22, Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org> wrote:

> Eduardo Ochs wrote:
>
>>>>> would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left
>>>>> half and a right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD"
>>>>> on the window at the right" - and this will work even
>>>>> when eev-mode is off.
>>>>
>>>> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically
>>>> for the corresponding mode.
>>>
>>> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
>>> `describe-mode' already?
>>
>> They don't create editable buffers.
>
> Save it to/as a text file and write whatever you want?

After reloading you will be (most probably) back in fundamental mode –
no font-lock, no interactive elements etc.

-- 
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Jean Louis]

* Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org> [2022-12-14 21:17]:
> Jean Louis wrote:
> 
> >> would make `M-x r' behave as "split the frame into a left
> >> half and a right half, and display the file "~/REFCARD" on
> >> the window at the right" - and this will work even when
> >> eev-mode is off.
> >
> > I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically for
> > the corresponding mode.
> 
> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
> `describe-mode' already?

I have understood that person wanted to have fancy one or two pages
PDF with tightly listed shortcuts.

IMHO, packages providing shortcuts list could produce such PDFs as
well, not only Emacs buffers.

If I personally need it, I just print the buffer output by using:
M-x describe-keymap and rcd-paps functions as in my previous e-mail.

-- 
Jean

Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns:
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

In support of Richard M. Stallman
https://stallmansupport.org/

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Emanuel Berg]

Jean Louis wrote:

>>> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically
>>> for the corresponding mode.
>> 
>> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
>> `describe-mode' already?
>
> I have understood that person wanted to have fancy one or
> two pages PDF with tightly listed shortcuts.

That can be automated ...

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Jean Louis]

* Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org> [2022-12-17 12:59]:
> Jean Louis wrote:
> 
> >>> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically
> >>> for the corresponding mode.
> >> 
> >> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
> >> `describe-mode' already?
> >
> > I have understood that person wanted to have fancy one or
> > two pages PDF with tightly listed shortcuts.
> 
> That can be automated ...

That is exactly the idea, to have possibility for reference cards for
various modes to be automatically nicely printed to PDF or printer.


-- 
Jean

Take action in Free Software Foundation campaigns:
https://www.fsf.org/campaigns

In support of Richard M. Stallman
https://stallmansupport.org/

Re: how can I make a reference card like the Emacs reference card

[Emanuel Berg]

Jean Louis wrote:

>>>>> I have just got idea that REFCARD could be automatically
>>>>> for the corresponding mode.
>>>> 
>>>> But don't we have something like that with `C-h M' or
>>>> `describe-mode' already?
>>>
>>> I have understood that person wanted to have fancy one or
>>> two pages PDF with tightly listed shortcuts.
>> 
>> That can be automated ...
>
> That is exactly the idea, to have possibility for reference
> cards for various modes to be automatically nicely printed
> to PDF or printer.

Go for it, Jean :)

(Or to HTML or any other desired format for that matter.)

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal