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* questions about columns
@ 2007-01-11 18:54 sunwukung
  2007-01-11 19:08 ` haws
                   ` (4 more replies)
  0 siblings, 5 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: sunwukung @ 2007-01-11 18:54 UTC (permalink / raw)


I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?

Also, is there a way from within emacs to do something like the "pr"
command (formats text into columns of a given width and page length)?
In other words, can emacs massage text into a newspaper-like format?

I'm using version:
XEmacs 21.4 (patch 19) "Constant Variable" [Lucid] (i486-linux-gnu,
Mule) of Fri Nov  3 2006 on penell

Thanks!

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: questions about columns
  2007-01-11 18:54 questions about columns sunwukung
@ 2007-01-11 19:08 ` haws
  2007-01-11 19:13 ` Markus Triska
                   ` (3 subsequent siblings)
  4 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: haws @ 2007-01-11 19:08 UTC (permalink / raw)


I can answer the first one:

You have to pass the argument before calling the function, like this:
Type C-8 C-0 C-u

Then, as soon as you type M-x, you will see an 80 preceding it in the
minibuffer.
That will be the argument to the function you want to call.

(Btw, you can use numeric arguments for a lot of commands. For example,
try typing C-5 C-n to go not 1, but 5 lines down)

Another good tip if you're a beginner is the key sequence C-h k,
followed by any other key sequence. This will describe what that
keybindings does.
For example, if I type C-h k C-u, I'll get:

C-u runs the command universal-argument
[...]
Begin a numeric argument for the following command.

--
Hope you could understand me!

Hugo

sunwukung@gmail.com escreveu:

> I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
> online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
> set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
> but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?
>
> Also, is there a way from within emacs to do something like the "pr"
> command (formats text into columns of a given width and page length)?
> In other words, can emacs massage text into a newspaper-like format?
>
> I'm using version:
> XEmacs 21.4 (patch 19) "Constant Variable" [Lucid] (i486-linux-gnu,
> Mule) of Fri Nov  3 2006 on penell
> 
> Thanks!

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: questions about columns
  2007-01-11 18:54 questions about columns sunwukung
  2007-01-11 19:08 ` haws
@ 2007-01-11 19:13 ` Markus Triska
  2007-01-11 20:03 ` Kevin Rodgers
                   ` (2 subsequent siblings)
  4 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Markus Triska @ 2007-01-11 19:13 UTC (permalink / raw)


"sunwukung@gmail.com" <sunwukung@gmail.com> wrote:

> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error: set-fill-column
> requires an explicit argument but doesn't give me a chance to set
> it.  How do I?

Use C-u followed by a number to specify a column.  Just C-u as
argument means to use the current column.

> Also, is there a way from within emacs to do something like the "pr"
> command (formats text into columns of a given width and page length)?
> In other words, can emacs massage text into a newspaper-like format?

You can run pr on the buffer: C-x h (mark-whole-buffer), then M-|
(shell-command-on-region), then the command (pr) and its parameters.

All the best,
Markus Triska

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: questions about columns
  2007-01-11 18:54 questions about columns sunwukung
  2007-01-11 19:08 ` haws
  2007-01-11 19:13 ` Markus Triska
@ 2007-01-11 20:03 ` Kevin Rodgers
       [not found] ` <mailman.2975.1168545881.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
  2007-01-13 23:44 ` sunwukung
  4 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Kevin Rodgers @ 2007-01-11 20:03 UTC (permalink / raw)


sunwukung@gmail.com wrote:
> I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
> online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
> set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
> but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?

,----[ C-h f set-fill-column RET ]
| set-fill-column is an interactive compiled Lisp function in `simple.el'.
| It is bound to C-x f.
| (set-fill-column arg)
|
| Set `fill-column' to specified argument.
| Use C-u followed by a number to specify a column.
| Just C-u as argument means to use the current column.
|
| [back]
`----

-- 
Kevin

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: questions about columns
       [not found] ` <mailman.2975.1168545881.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
@ 2007-01-12 10:55   ` Rupert
  0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Rupert @ 2007-01-12 10:55 UTC (permalink / raw)


sunwukung@gmail.com wrote:
> I need to make the text version of my resume slim so it can fit into
> online forms and look nice.  I tried M-x set-fill-prefix which seems to
> work but M-x set-fill-column gives me the error:
> set-fill-column requires an explicit argument
> but doesn't give me a chance to set it.  How do I?

I'm not sure whether the current replies are enough for you or not, so
here's my comments. Many emacs commands can logically be repeated a
number of times, such as forward-char or maybe self-insert (which types
a character). Others need a number to do something with (such as
set-fill-columns, which needs to know what width to set fill-columns
to).

To pass a prefix argument to such a function, either type C-u or ESC
and then type the number (on the number keys!) then do the shortcut to
the function or M-x function-name. So for example, you might type: C-u
6 0 C-x f

Just in case it helps, you'll then need to wrap the text - try M-q on a
paragraph.

Rupert

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

* Re: questions about columns
  2007-01-11 18:54 questions about columns sunwukung
                   ` (3 preceding siblings ...)
       [not found] ` <mailman.2975.1168545881.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
@ 2007-01-13 23:44 ` sunwukung
  4 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: sunwukung @ 2007-01-13 23:44 UTC (permalink / raw)


Thanks everyone for the advice.  I understand it now!

^ permalink raw reply	[flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread

end of thread, other threads:[~2007-01-13 23:44 UTC | newest]

Thread overview: 6+ messages (download: mbox.gz follow: Atom feed
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2007-01-11 18:54 questions about columns sunwukung
2007-01-11 19:08 ` haws
2007-01-11 19:13 ` Markus Triska
2007-01-11 20:03 ` Kevin Rodgers
     [not found] ` <mailman.2975.1168545881.2155.help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>
2007-01-12 10:55   ` Rupert
2007-01-13 23:44 ` sunwukung

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